Bay of Islands man guilty of violent attack on man who owed him $100

A man who repeatedly assaulted another man for not repaying a debt in full has been sent to prison for 10 months.

Felix White of Halfway Point went to the Shoreline Club in that community last March 17.

While there, he saw a friend he had loaned $100 to and immediately asked for it to be paid back. The other man went to an automated teller and withdrew $60 and told White that was all he had.

The court heard that White became enraged, partly because the other man was buying drinks at the bar while White didn’t have money to do the same.

The court heard White punched the man after being given the $60 and struck him again as he was falling to the floor from the first blow. The man was knocked out and, when he was able to get back up, White hit him and knocked him out again.

Later, the court heard White struck the man a fourth time.

Judge Wayne Gorman found White guilty of assault causing bodily harm after a trial.

In a victim impact statement, the man who was assaulted said his left cheek is still swollen and now has a hard lump here. He said his face looks deformed and experienced headaches for days after the attack.

He also expressed concern White will come after him again.

White entered guilty pleas to failing to comply with a breathalyzer demand and two breaches of a recognizance in relation to a separate matter that took place in last Aug. 26. He was located by police at around 1:45 a.m. in a parked vehicle he was operating and was showing signs of impairment.

He was arrested but refused to comply with a breath demand from the police.

At that time, he was bound by a recognizance to not consume alcohol and to be at his residence by 9 p.m. each day.

Gorman ruled White’s reaction in the bar incident was out of control and that he constitutes a danger to the public. In addition to the 10 months in prison, Gorman also fined White $1,200 and prohibited him from driving for a year in relation to the breath demand refusal.

White must also provide authorities with a sample of his DNA and is banned from possessing weapons or ammunition for 10 years.