Defendant urged by judge to stay off alcohol
A CROMWELL man who committed two assaults has been sentenced to community work and advised to stay away from alcohol.
Jackson Allan Clark (22) had a propensity to violence only when he had been drinking alcohol, Judge Kevin Phillips told him during sentencing in the Alexandra District Court yesterday.
‘‘When you get boozed you get violent . . . You’re a man who shouldn’t drink alcohol. That’s the key here.’’
Clark was convicted last month of assaulting Javahn Heath and Krystal Lee Waters in Cromwell on August 28, 2016. He had admitted assaulting Mr Heath, but denied assaulting Ms Waters and a defended hearing for that matter was heard. Judge Phillips found Clark had committed the assault, but he did not agree with the level of the male assaults female charge and amended it to a Summary Offences assault. Clark accepted the amendment and then admitted the charge.
Judge Phillips said the assaults had occurred at a party, after Mr Heath allegedly made a racist comment about Clark. Clark ‘‘lost his temper’’ and tackled Mr Heath. Ms Waters then dragged Clark outside.
During the defended hearing, Ms Waters said Clark then pushed her into a wood pile and punched her three times in the chest. He also damaged Ms Waters’ flat.
Counsel for Clark, Justine Baird, said Clark had had a ‘‘tough two years’’ because of several personal tragedies but he had ‘‘grown up a lot’’ and did not see himself as coming before the court again.
He recognised he had a problem with alcohol, and had taken part in a positive restorative justice conference with Ms Waters, Ms Baird said.
Judge Phillips sentenced Clark to 200 hours’ community work for the assault on Ms Waters and ordered him to pay $131.60 reparation, $500 emotional harm reparation and to attend alcohol and other assessments and treatments as directed.
For assaulting Mr Heath, Clark was ordered to pay $200 emotional harm reparation.
It was now up to Clark whether he learned his lesson from the incidents or not, Judge Phillips said.