Drug addict jailed for 18 months for two assaults

Sunday 20 November 2016

Colin Anthony Trenear was imprisoned for 18 months on Friday after admitting two charges of grave and criminal assault.

Trenear, who has suffered from a long term drug addiction to heroin, had 68 previous offences on his record, mainly for theft, drugs and driving matters and one assault from 1997. He had also breached court orders on seven occasions.

The Royal Court heard the 49-year-old committed the assaults against two work building site colleagues at a flat in Aquila Road on March 12^th.

Crown Advocate Richard Pedley said: “All the parties were known to each other and the two victims, James Green and Paul Le Pavoux, had been friends for some time.

“The defendant had been working for Mr Green on a building site. That morning the defendant was due to meet Mr Green at the site but was told that Mr Le Pavoux would be working. Neither victim turned up and the defendant was left waiting, which angered him.”

Trenear sent abusive and threatening text messages to Mr Green and went to a flat in Aquila Road where he found both victims.

Advocate Pedley said: “The defendant was annoyed the victims had failed to show up for work. He saw Mr Le Pavoux sitting on a sofa and became angry as he suspected he was drinking alcohol. He went to kick the drink out of his hand and recklessly kicked the victim to the right side of his face. The kick caused swelling and a small bruise and the defendant was wearing steel toe-capped working boots at the time.

“The defendant then turned to Mr Green. He picked up a wooden coffee table and brought it down where Mr Green was sitting. The table broke and Mr Green injured his right forearm.

“There was a general scuffle, during the course of which the defendant took out a plasterboard shaver and said ‘If you don’t let me go, I’ll do you.’”

Trenear then sent further text messages threatening the pair and was arrested later the same day.

Defending Advocate Adam Harrison asked the court to consider a non-custodial sentence and the injuries sustained in the attack were only superficial.

Advocate Harrison said: “There was no real deliberation involved as he lashed out immediately, although the defendant accepts the blow that landed was reckless.

“He was annoyed they had not turned up for work and wound himself up. There was no intention to deliver serious harm to the victims.

“The defendant entered a guilty plea and he has expressed his remorse. There is no escaping the fact that his record is a poor one, even though he has only one previous conviction for violence.

“He has led a difficult and unhappy life. He underachieved at school and at an early age turned to crime. His adult life has been blighted by his addiction to opiates and he is a long term client of the drug and alcohol services.

“He hopes to obtain full time employment in the future and he wants to live a quiet life to avoid further appearances in court.”

In sentencing Trenear to 18 months in jail, Commissioner Sir Michael Birt said: “This was an unprovoked assault on two men.

“You have a long standing drug habit and the fact is this was a nasty assault. The texts you sent shows you went there in an angry frame of mind so this was not a spur of the moment. The texts afterwards showed no remorse.

“We see no exceptional circumstances in this case and cannot impose a non-custodial sentence. We do this rather sadly as you are nearly 50 years of age and we hope you take advantage of what is on offer in prison and get to grips with your drug habit and turn your life around.”