Furious teenager beat up mother’s former partner
Son stamped on ‘motionless’ man’s head after going round to his house
A TEENAGE son ‘lost it’ before dishing out a ‘sustained’ beating on his mum’s former partner leaving him unconscious in his own house.
Mason Barr, 19, narrowly avoided jail after storming over to the victim’s address before punching him in the mouth and then repeatedly kicking and stamping on the motionless man’s head with a ‘shod foot’ after he was on the ground.
Barr, of previous good character, went round to the address on April 8 just after 10pm after a flurry of abusive messages had been exchanged between his mum and the ex-partner - with the attacker’s mum telling the man: ‘He’s coming to you, you fat **** .’
Portsmouth Crown Court heard how the normally ‘stable’ defendant then knocked on the door before saying ‘alright mate’ and then smashing the man in the face.
A video clip from a mobile phone that captured the attack was played to the court showing Barr, of Manor Park Avenue, Copnor, kicking and stamping on his target in a frenzied attack while he was on the ground not moving.
‘He had been angered by the text messages and insults to his mum and went round to remonstrate but when he saw him he lashed out,’ prosecutor Siobhan Lindsay said.
The victim did not suffer any permanent damage but was left with cuts and bruises to his head as well as suffering psychological damage following the incident. The court heard how Barr, an apprentice plasterer, was deemed to be of ‘low risk’ of reoffending.
Judge Timothy Mousley QC said Barr ‘lost it’ before telling him: ‘No matter how offensive the text messages were there is no justification to go round with that level of violence.’
Judge Mousley gave Barr a 12-month jail term which he suspended for 18 months.
The judge said the attack was ‘out of character’ and an isolated incident with Barr ‘immediately remorseful’.
Barr, who admitted a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, was also given 150 hours of unpaid work and told to complete 15 rehabilitation days.
CHILDREN have been celebrating their school’s Harvest Festival by donating hundreds of items of food to a local food bank.
Generous pupils at Hart Plain Infant School donated ‘20 large bags of shopping’ to Waterlooville Food Bank.
Fresh fruit and vegetables, cakes, biscuits, pasta and tinned produce were collected during a whole school assembly celebrating the importance of food and those involved in its production.
Jack Ellis, six, said: ‘We got lots of food for the harvest which is really good as it will go to the food bank for people in our area.’
Classmate Rebecca Lea, also six, added: ‘We don't want people to starve and without food we can't live well.’
The school celebrates its Harvest Festival every year with donations normally going to residents in local care homes. However this year’s Covid restrictions have made this impossible.
Headteacher Ruth Kenny commented: ‘The parents have been so generous and I’m delighted with how the children have responded to this initiative. The food bank were delighted and could not believe the amount of food we had collected.’