Conditional discharge for assault involving a bike chain
We represented a young adult male who was accused of assault by beating following a road rage incident.
Although the offence charged is relatively minor, the circumstances of the allegation significantly increased its severity. The Defendant was said to have followed the complainant after a traffic incident and approached him with a bike chain in his hand, before pushing him in the chest. The complainant stated he feared he was going to be assaulted with the bike chain, and that he had become fearful of returning to work as a result of the incident.
We made representations that the allegations should be discontinued, as our client had only been 18 for a few weeks at the time of the incident. He also came from an exceptionally challenging background having sought asylum in the UK at the age of 15. We argued that given it was a first offence, a caution would be the appropriate disposal.
Though our representations were unsuccessful due to the involvement of the bike chain, the mitigation we had gathered was persuasive. Despite the severity of the circumstances, the court agreed to sentence our client to a conditional discharge and for him to pay a small amount of compensation.
Our client was very grateful for our assistance.
This case was prepared by trainee Phoebe Coleman and youth crime specialist Leah Connolly.
