Cousins ‘got stuck in’ to Italian national who was running away
TWO cousins attacked a foreign national at Salter Street, St Peter Port, in the early hours of the morning.
Luke Dorey, 30, of Flat 4, 1, Paris Street, St Peter Port, and Jack Warner, 23, of Happy Daze, Route Militaire, St Sampson’s, admitted a joint charge of assault when they appeared in the Magistrate’s Court.
Prosecuting Officer Sarah Watson told the court how the victim and his friend, both Italian nationals, were walking from the direction of Town at about 3.30am and talking in their native language.
They said they heard a xenophobic comment about Italians made from inside a nearby property. They shouted back to see if anyone would come down.
The defendants emerged from an upstairs flat, followed by a dog.
The victim’s friend managed to run away but when the victim tried to do the same he tripped and fell before being attacked by the dog. He was bitten, which caused puncture wounds to his right forearm, wrist and left leg.
Miss Watson said that while the dog did not form part of the charges, it was the prosecution’s case that the defendants could have done more to prevent harm to the victim.
Dorey rained numerous heavy punches down on the victim while Warner accepted punching and kicking him twice.
At the end of the incident Warner helped the victim to his feet.
When police arrived the assailants returned to the flat they had come from. Music could be heard coming from inside but nobody answered the door. Both men were then seen leaving from a side door in Well Road, where they were arrested.
Dorey was verbally abusive and confrontational. He said the man had thrown something at the flat window and he had hit him as hard as he could to teach him a lesson.
Warner said he had arrived in the island the day before and that he and Dorey had been provoked.
Dorey had three previous convictions for assault and others for public order matters, while Warner had no previous convictions.
For the latter, Advocate Chris Green said his client had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
As soon as he had realised what was happening he had tried to stop it but things just escalated.
He did not hear or make any xenophobic comments.
The dog belonged to somebody else in the flat and it had run out when the men left the door open. He helped the complainant up at the time and apologised to him. He said the victim’s friend had thrown a glass item at the flat window and tried to climb a drainpipe to it. He wished to apologise to all concerned and had written a letter to the court.
For Dorey, Advocate Samuel Steel said his client accepted that he caused the injuries to the victim that were shown on a photograph before the court.
His client had refused to watch the CCTV in Advocate Steel’s office and said he would probably apologise to the victim if he saw him again.
He admitted punching him and landing a blow on the side of his head but denied kicking him. He also denied making xenophobic comments. He was aware that alcohol led him to make bad decisions and this was the first time he had drunk this year.
Judge Graeme McKerrell said this had been a nasty and vicious assault. There was no threat to either man and the complainant had been running away but they had both ‘got stuck in’ to him.
Warner did appear to have come to his senses but the same could not be said for Dorey. Injuries inflicted, which also included a black eye and bruising and scratches to the victim’s head, were not insignificant.
Assaults like this would not be tolerated in Guernsey, he said.
Dorey was jailed for five months, while a three-month prison sentence was imposed on Warner but suspended for two years.
