First-time offender Robert Gywn Davies, of Grande Route de St Jean, avoided a custodial sentence for the grave and criminal assault, and told the court that the neighbouring business had ‘made his life a misery’.
The court heard that Davies reported himself to States police following the incident on 7 June and that while he was on the phone, told the operator that his victim ‘had driven him to the point of suicide’ and that he was in possession of a knife and a hammer.
As a result, armed police went to the scene and arrested Davies.
He was given 90 hours of community service, ordered to pay compensation of £1,000 to his victim, and was given a restraining order barring him from having any contact with the business owner for two years.
Legal adviser Advocate Carla Carvalho said that there had been ‘long standing issues regarding noise’ and that on the morning in question, Davies had told his wife: ‘I am going over to see him, I am going to sort him out.’
At one point, the court heard, Davies had picked up a knife and a hammer but did not take them out with him. However, he did put on a pair of leather gloves before walking to the neighbouring business. Advocate Carvalho said that when he found the business owner he started punching him and, as he did, he said: ‘You have made my life a misery.’
The defendant accepted that he punched the business owner up to six times with his right hand. Advocate Carvalho said that the victim fell to the ground and, as he tried to get up again, he tripped on a chair and stumbled back to the ground.
Advocate David Steenson, defending, said it was a ‘sad case’ and that his client had suffered some type of temporary breakdown.
In sentencing Davies Magistrate Bridget Shaw said: ‘In dealing with you today, I accept you have never done anything like this before and that that you simply lost control. You were at the end of your tether, you were not thinking straight.’
She acknowledged that Davies had tried to deal with the noise issue through the Planning Department without success. However, she said that on the morning in question, the defendant had thought about what he was going to do.
‘The victim was going about his lawful business and the last thing he would have expected was for you to come into his office and start hitting him,’ said Mrs Shaw.
