Kentish Express Ashford & District
Victim feels let down by ‘revenge attack’ verdict
A former director of a recycling company has kept his freedom - despite attacking his boss and leaving him with a head gash.
Now the victim, managing director Richard Monks, has blasted the justice system for letting him and his family down.
“I feel deeply let down by the UK system,” he said. “Crime does seem to pay.”
His attacker Alan Hogg had admitted causing the injury during a bust-up at Green Box Recycling Centre in Cobbs Wood Industrial Estate in Ashford.
But a jury decided he did not use either a knife or a knuckleduster in the attack - caught on CCTV - which Hogg claimed was over an argument about a company loan.
Prosecutor Patrick Dennis told Canterbury Crown Court that the violent incident was a “revenge attack”.
The judge told Hogg, a 52-yearold father-of-four, from Church Road, Hartley, Longfield that it had been a “moment of madness”.
The jury also decided that Hogg had not caused the wound intending to cause serious harm to Mr Monks, from Cranbrook.
Recorder Alper Riza QC suspended a one-year jail sentence for two years but ordered Hogg to pay his former colleague £750 compensation.
He told him: “You lost it big time! I don’t know what possessed you that day. It was a sustained assault but fortunately the injury wasn’t a serious one.”
Hogg, who wept when the jury acquitted him of wounding with intent and illegally possessing a knife and a knuckleduster, has since quit the company and sold his shares in Green Box.
He is now a director of a property company and his barrister Oliver Blunt QC said it had been “a stupid incident”.
Mr Monks said after the hearing: “The injury could have been a lot worse but should I have just lain down and took it and my children could have lost me as a father? This was not a fight it was an attack on me.
“If this is this is the example set by courts in Kent towards violent crime I cannot see a bright future ahead for the county.
“In general myself and my family have received countless threats through this process.”
Hogg admitted picking up a piece of metal during the incident in the yard and waving it towards Mr Monks.
Mr Blunt added: “He accepts that he was the aggressor and was responsible for the incident.”
The jury heard allegations that there had been a dispute between the two men over a business loan.
Mr Monks claimed during the trial: “He (Hogg) walked up to me and said I’ve got something for you. I saw he was carrying a knife and a knuckle duster.”
But the jury ruled there had been no knuckleduster or knife used in the unprovoked attack.
Hogg was also ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work for the community and £500 prosecution costs.
The judge also rejected a request from the privately funded QC for part of his defence costs to be paid by taxpayers. The Recorder said: “You are not entitled because you brought this on yourself.”