Town assault: Man left unable to work for six weeks

Town assault: Man left unable to work for six weeks

He sustained damaged shoulder ligaments after he was elbowed in the face at about 2.15 am on 4 November.

The man who carried out the attack, Samuel James Stone (25), of Val Plaisant, was sentenced to 120 hours’ community service and ordered to pay compensation of £750.

Police legal adviser Advocate Carla Carvalho said that the victim and a witness were crossing the Esplanade from Liberation Station when their attention was drawn to the defendant who asked them for ‘cigarettes and drugs’.

They told him they did not have any but he followed them and continued to ask for cigarettes. The pair told Stone to go away but the defendant then struck the victim in the face with his right elbow.

‘The CCTV showed that the victim did rise quickly to his feet. Stone was pushed away and fell over, which allowed the victim and his friend to separate from Stone,’ said the advocate.

Initially the defendant was charged with grave and criminal assault, but a guilty plea to the lesser charge of common assault was accepted by the prosecution.

Advocate Carvalho told the court that the victim had been unable to work for about six weeks as he had sustained ligament damage to the shoulder and was seeking compensation for his losses.

Advocate David Wilson, defending, said that it was completely out of character for Stone.

He said that his client had no recollection of the incident and only became aware of being there when he saw CCTV footage. The lawyer said that although he had no evidence to support the contention, he was submitting to the court that ‘everything that night was consistent with my client’s drink being spiked’.

He disputed a claim by the prosecution that the defendant asked the victim and his friend for drugs. ‘He does not take drugs,’ said the lawyer.

In sentencing, Relief Magistrate Sarah Fitz said: ‘This is an unprovoked quite serious assault and I don’t think a financial penalty will be sufficient. It could have had very serious consequences.’

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