Driver admits rock-thrower attack
A police prosecutor has called for a man to be jailed over an incident where he assaulted an 18 year old man who had thrown a rock at the car he was travelling in.
The 45 year old man appeared in Rockingham Magistrate’s Court on Monday and pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm.
The court was told that on the evening of January 25 this year, the man was a front-seat passenger in a car driving along Ennis Avenue, when a rock came hurtling across the road and smashed into his door.
The driver of the car slammed on the brakes and pulled over, with three young people who had been hiding in bushes on the side of the road then either riding off on bikes or running away.
Deciding to chase the one of the young men and detain him until police arrived, the man ran after the 18-year-old, with both of them running through gardens and jumping over fences. Finding the young man on a property a short time later, the older man stopped him.
The owner of the home came outside and was told to call police, while the man took the younger man back to Warnbro train station.
The detained man started apologising , asking for police not to be called, allegedly pushing the man before he fought back and then punched the teenager several times in the head and kicking him to the ribs after he had fallen over.
The teenager was taken to hospital, and photographs of his injuries were shown in court to Magistrate Leanne Atkins, who questioned how he received grazes to his body.
During the court hearing, the man’s lawyer described his client’s actions on the night as “inappropriate” but that the young man’s actions were “extremely dangerous” and mentioned recent incidents where youths had been arrested after throwing rocks at cars travelling along the Kwinana Freeway.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Rob Coales condemned the man’s actions and said there was no need for violence.
He said the 18 year old could have been detained in a citizen’s arrest.
“We need to send a strong message that people shouldn’t be going around taking the law into their own hands,” he said.
However, some details of the assault put forth by police were debated by the man and his lawyer, with a trial of issues hearing scheduled for May.
Sgt Coales indicated that police were investigating the rock throwing incident.
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