Violent end to bike dispute

A dispute over a borrowed bike turned violent in Titahi Bay last month.

Elsdon man Brian James Alexander Evans, 22, and Titahi Bay’s Lesley Anne Chance CassidyJohns, 17, were convicted last Tuesday at Porirua District Court of assault and stealing a bike.

At 5pm on October 6, Evans and Cassidy-Johns were in an alleyway off Tangare Drive in Takapuwahia.

They ran up behind a male and female victim, who had a BMX bike with them, police prosecutor Paul Macky said.

The victims tried to run away, but Evans and Cassidy- Johns caught them. Evans pushed the male to the ground and punched him several times.

Cassidy-Johns did the same to the female, shouting, ‘‘Give me your s...’’ and trying to search her pockets, Mr Macky said.

Evans and Cassidy-Johns then took the bike off the victims and ran away.

Members of the public nearby called police, and the pair handed themselves in at Porirua police station a short time later.

The male victim suffered minor swelling and bruising, and the female victim had a sore arm, Mr Macky said.

Evans’ lawyer, Sonia Thistoll, said there was a history to the bike dispute – her client had lent it to the victims previously.

Cassidy- Johns regretted her involvement, her lawyer Val Nisbet said.

‘‘She should not have got herself involved in this situation.’’

Judge John Walker gave Evans and Cassidy-Johns credit for their early guilty pleas and for their clean conviction histories.

They were lucky charges of aggravated robbery against them were dropped, because they would otherwise be facing prison sentences, Judge Walker said.

He sentenced the pair to 80 hours’ community work each.