Horse-case man beaten up in street

A LOCAL man found guilty of attempting a sexual act with a horse says he feels lucky to be alive after being attacked in Town the day after his release from prison. Leeroy Phillip Le Gallais is still recovering from what hje says was an unprovoked night-time attack near the Golden Lion pub a week ago, which led to him being hospitalised.

'I was badly beaten up. One of my teeth has gone and I have had some stitches in my lip and I'm waiting for an X-ray,' he told the Guernsey Press yesterday. 'Somebody came behind me and jumped me. I just blacked out.

'I have not got a clue who did it. I just want to know why. It could have been about anything,' he said.

'If you were in my position, you would probably feel the same - not very good. I have enough on my plate to last me a long time,' he said.

'Somebody has taken a little bit of me. I have feelings as well. It's hard for me as well.

'This should never have happened. The person who has done it knows what they have done and it needs to be sorted out by the law in the right way,' he said.

'I'm lucky to be here today - I have never blacked out 'before'. I woke up and the paramedic was there over me.'

He confirmed that police were dealing with the matter.

'I want to find out who this person was - they need to be sorted out. It does not matter who you are. If it had not happened to me, it could have been somebody else.'

Last Friday, after being found guilty of an attempted sexual act with a gelding, he was given a three-year probation order.

His advocate said that his client, who had always denied the offence, had already spent three months in custody, which was equivalent to four-and-a-half months' imprisonment with remission.

He said Le Gallais had endured a fair degree of embarrassment because of the nature of the incident, which was extensively reported, and the small nature of the Guernsey community had only compounded that.

Yesterday, Le Gallais was still recovering from his injuries at a St Peter Port hotel and was vowing to try to get his life back on track.

'I'm not very happy with what has happened. I'm not working now and won't be able to for a couple of weeks. I need to get back to work and earn some money,' he said.

He insisted he wanted to continue supporting his family financially after splitting up from his partner.

'We are no longer together,' he said. 'I love my kid. I just have to get through things. It's bad enough the way things have been. The way things were put down was wrong, in my books. No wonder I have got a thump.

'I have to get on with what I have got,' he said.

Police said that they were still investigating a serious assault at the bottom of Mill Street at about 10pm last Saturday.

'Nobody has been charged,' confirmed a spokesman.

Police are still appealing for witnesses.