Shift worker snaps

Fine for punching neighbour over noisy toy car

A WEARY nightshift worker has been fined for punching a neighbour in the head, after the man ignored repeated pleas to stop operating a noisy remote-control car in the street.

Geelong Magistrates’ Court heard John Weber approached the victim and asked him to stop but ‘‘lost it’’ when the victim told him to ‘‘f--- off!’’

Weber, 44, of Tallinn St, Bell Park, pleaded guilty yester- day to a single charge of recklessly causing injury.

The police prosecutor, leading Sen- Constable Kerrie Moroney, said that on May 6, the victim was operating his remote- control car in the street near Weber’s house.

She said Weber went out and told him to stop, to which the victim replied, ‘‘F--k off, it’s after 10am’’.

‘‘The accused then struck the victim to the head with a closed fist, knocking him to the ground,’’ she said.

‘‘When interviewed, Weber made full admissions to the assault and was extremely remorseful.

‘‘ He told police, ‘ I’d had enough. I shouldn’t have hit him’.’’

Gerard Healy, for Weber, said it was his client’s first time in court, that he was otherwise law- abiding and got on well with the remainder of his neighbours.

‘ ‘ This wasn’t j ust any remote- control car,’’ Mr Healy said.

‘‘ It was two- thirds of a metre in height, petrol- powered and made a continual, loud, high-pitched, whining noise.

‘‘My client had previously given the victim a list of other places where he could operate the car without bothering anyone, but he ignored that.’’

Mr Healy said that on this occasion, Weber had arrived home from nightshift in Melbourne and went to bed about 9.30am.

‘‘He is then woken by this guy at 11am,’’ Mr Healy said.

‘‘He tells me that after he punched the victim, he went to help him up, but the victim lunged at my client with a screwdriver, so Weber backed off.’’

Mr Healy said other neighbours in the street had also been upset by the noisy remote-control car, with some supplying letters of support to Weber in court yesterday.

‘‘ This fellow has since moved out of the street and no one knows where he has gone,’’ Mr Healy said.

Magistrate Stephen Myall convicted Weber and fined him $1000.