Man flung through window in assault
On a ‘‘very bad Friday night’’, Jaxon Leach assaulted a man, then threw him through a window when he tried to flee.
Leach, 20, of Blenheim, was sentenced on charges of assault with intent to injure and injuring with reckless disregard for the safety of others, in the Nelson District Court on Tuesday.
Reading from the summary of facts, Judge David Ruth said that on June 13, Leach was visiting Nelson for a friend’s birthday.
Leach and his friends were in a Bridge St bar, where his victim and his female friend were present. At 1.50am, both groups crossed Bridge St to Buxton Square. ‘‘One of your friends became upset with the victim and assaulted him, kicking him in the back,’’ Ruth said. After the victim’s friend tried to intervene, Leach struck the victim, who fell to the ground. ‘‘Once he got to his feet, you demanded he continue to fight,’’ Ruth said.
The victim backed away with his hands open, but Leach ‘‘advanced on him’’, striking him several times and kneeing him twice in the head.
In his struggle to escape, the victim slipped out of his jersey, which Leach was holding, and fled. Leach gave chase, catching up to his victim on the other side of the square, where he grabbed him and threw him through a window. The victim was knocked unconscious, and received bruising and cuts to his head. Fortunately, there was no lasting damage, Ruth said. Defence lawyer Steven Zindel said Leach was sorry for his actions. His client had alcohol problems and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and was not taking his medication at the time of the assault, Zindel said.
‘‘It was just a very bad Friday night,’’ he said. Ruth told Leach he had ‘‘no business joining this fray’’. ‘‘You were not satisfied when it seemed to be over and that’s an aggravating factor.’’
Ruth applied sentence discounts for Leach’s guilty plea, and steps he’d taken since he was charged, including seeking counselling, giving up drinking and moving into a supportive household. Ruth sentenced Leach to four months of community detention and supervision.
Leach was ordered to pay $750 to his victim and $1056 for the window he damaged.