Man who hit woman with walking stick avoids prison

Tuesday 29 August 2023

A 66-year-old man has admitted hitting a woman over the head with his walking stick in an unprovoked attack.

But Joao Catanho Lopes was told that his six-month prison sentence was being suspended for a year.

The Magistrate’s Court heard that the assault happened in Parade Gardens in St. Helier on 20 August last year. The victim and some friends had been in the park and Lopes, who seemed to be drunk, approached them.

Crown Advocate Lauren Taylor, prosecuting, said: "The victim said people were chatting and enjoying themselves. Someone turned on some music and the defendant started dancing, waving his walking stick from side to side.

"Then he raised his stick and hit her over the head. She said he did it with some force. She was bleeding."

Advocate Taylor explained that the assault had seemed unprovoked, saying: "She was shocked. She couldn’t believe what had happened."

The victim was taken to the Emergency Ward for a short time and suffered headaches for weeks afterwards, the advocate added.

Lopes had at first denied the offence but admitted it in July. However he was following court proceedings through a Portuguese interpreter, and Advocate Mark Boothman, defending, said: "Whilst it is unfortunate that Mr Lopes didn’t plead guilty sooner, it took considerable time to explain to him the judicial process."

He added: "This was entirely out of character. Mr Lopes has no criminal record.

Relief Magistrate Nunes Da Costa told Lopes: "You used your walking stick as a weapon, and hit a woman who was minding her own business and was no threat to you."

He warned him that if he commits another offence within the next 12 months he will have to serve the prison sentence, and told him to have no contact with the victim.