Man remanded in custody on assault charge

Press, 25 March 1980, Page 5

Man remanded in custody on assault charge

A man who pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday to his sixth offence of assault in the last seven years was convicted r. I remanded in custody to March 31 for sentence. The defendant. John Anthony Neeson Harris, aged 25, a labourer, was refused bail by Mr B. A. Palmer, S.M. The Magistrate said there appeared to be no redeeming features in the assault and he was not prepared to grant bail for this kind of violence. Sergeant M. P. Caldwell, after giving the police summary of the offence, requested that a deterrent sentence be imposed because of

the incidence of assaults without provocation arising from the attackers’ belief that something had been said against them. Sergeant Caldwell said that at 11.40 p.m. on February 1 the defendant and a companion, while driving in High Street, saw the complainant, David John Edwards, talking to two girls. The two approached Mr Edwards and punched him in the face and body, and when he fell against a car and on to the footpath they kicked him several times in the chest and a shoulder and leg. He was left lying on the footpath. Mr Edwards had to receive hospital treatment for a cut above an eye which required 10 stitches. He suffered grazing and bruises to the face and a badly bruised shoulder.

Harris admitted to police his involvement in the offence, and said he thought Mr Edwards had yelled something at him. He punched Mr Edwards three or four times in the face and kicked him in a leg, before making off. Mr C. D. Eason, for Harris, sought bail during the remand period, and said the defendant had made a mistake in identity’ in assaulting Mr Edwards. The Magistrate said this was small comfort to the complainant.

The defendant was also remanded to the same date on two charges, which he denied, of resisting and obstructing a constable in the execution of his duty, on March 16.