Aug 31 - Man Gets Community Service For ABH
A 29-year-old man was sentenced to 130 hours of community service at the Supreme Court today.
Keiron Lagares faced one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm to which he pleaded guilty and one count of blackmail that was dismissed by the Crown due to a lack of evidence.
The incident dates back to November last year when Lagares was called to his former girlfriend’s home in Mid-Harbours Estate, after she feared she was going to be sexually assaulted by the victim. Lagares claims a heated argument ensued and he administered a single slap to the victim, which resulted in a laceration to his nose and an abrasion over his eyelid.
His lawyer, John Viales, said that the argument had prompted the slap, and that this behaviour was out of character for his client and not pre-meditated.
Acting Puisne Judge Liam Yeats accepted that the injuries sustained by the victim were not serious, and added that there was an element of provocation and pre-meditation.
Mr Justice Yeats said there was also a “troubled history of drug abuse” and “failed attempts of rehabilitation”, but agreed that this assault had been out of character. He noted that a guilty plea had been entered and said that credit should be given to the defendant for having shown remorse.
Lagares was sentenced to 150 hours of unpaid work under a community sentence order, but this was reduced to 130 hours due to him having entered a guilty plea before the case went to trial.
Carl Ramagge appeared for the Crown.
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