A Ryde man who bit a Post Office worker on the leg during a confrontation has been ordered to wear a sobriety tag for 60 days.
Maurice Reginald Hammond, 43, of Arthur Street in Ryde, appeared at the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court this morning (Tuesday) charged with assault by beating and failing to surrender to bail.
Magistrates heard that Hammond entered Mellish’s in the High Street at around lunchtime on 18th July last year but was refused service as staff believed him to be drunk. Later in the day, the 43-year-old returned to the shop and was spotted carrying a can of drink, which Mr Gurmanav Dhaliwal believed Maurice was stealing. He was confronted about the matter and then proceeded to punch Mr Dhaliwal in the face.
2 other shop workers – family members of Mr Dhaliwal’s – rushed to assist and restrained a drunken Maurice on the floor. It was then that he bit Mr Dhaliwal on the leg and spat in his face.
Police were flagged down and arrested Hammond, who is said to have been in drink at the time of the incident.
Defending, Oscar Vincent told the court that his client suffers from epilepsy and seizures, as well as diabetes. At the time of the incident, Maurice was recovering from an operation and was taking heavy painkillers which mixed with the alcohol consumed.
Maurice previously pleaded not guilty meaning the case went to trial, but he failed to attend. He was found guilty in his absence.
Magistrates ordered Maurice Hammond to pay £650 costs with a £95 surcharge, as well as compensation of £75. He was also ordered to complete an Alcohol Abstinence Monitoring Requirement, namely wearing a sobriety tag for 60 days, as well as completing 20 rehabilitation days as part of a 12-month community order.
What the hell is a sobriety tag ?Why can’t they just lock these arseoles up nobody seems to get a prison sentence whatever they do unless they’re dodging paying tax!
Absolutely ridiculous sentence! Nobody should have to put up with that sort of outrageous behaviour.. Sick and tired of judge’s pandering to drug abusers and drunks who think it’s okay to inflict their disgusting habits on to law abiding citizens.
Put him in prison!!!
Hammond is lucky that the worker he assaulted is a clearly a decent man who contacted the police and did it the right way.
Had Hammond done it to some other business owners in Ryde I can think of, his ‘justice’ would have been far swifter and much more painful!