Scotsman jailed for decade-old glassing

Friday 01 February 2019

A Scotsman has finally been sent behind bars after fleeing the island before he could be arrested for shoving a pint glass into another man’s face a decade ago.

Kenneth Gordon Chalk (35) was sentenced in the Royal Court this afternoon to 18 months in jail, having only been caught by Police last year due to him committing another assault in Jersey.

Chalk appeared in the Royal Court yesterday to be sentenced for the two assaults, resulting in him being sentenced to 18 months in jail for the “entirely unwarranted” and “spontaneous” attacks on strangers whilst he was drunk.

The 35-year-old admitted both the offences at a previous Court hearing where he entered ‘guilty’ pleas to the charges.

Crown Advocate Conrad Yates, appearing for the prosecution, summarised the offences.

Pictured: Kenneth Gordon Chalk was sentenced in the Royal Court this week.

The Court heard that the ‘glassing’ incident took place on 6 December 2008 at the Royal Yacht Hotel. A disagreement broke out between Chalk and another man whilst they were waiting at the bar. 

When the other man “touched the outside of his mouth area and wiped his right hand onto [Chalk’s] jacket”, Chalk proceeded to “thrust the glass” he was holding “directly into [the man’s] face".

The Crown Advocate explained that the victim of the assault “recalls that [Chalk] said something along the lines of ‘cop this, you f***ing b*****d’ as he thrust the glass into his face".

The man reported the assault to Police, but when officers went to arrest Chalk at his address, they were told he had already left Jersey.

As a result of the assault, the man suffered a “laceration” to his nose and “swelling” to his face as well as being “shaken” by the incident. The Doctor who examined him remarked that he was “extremely lucky not to suffer with more severe injuries” and speculated that this was likely due to the pint being made out of safety glass.

Pictured: The Court heard that the first assault took place at the Royal Yacht Hotel in 2008.

In addition to this grave and criminal assault, Chalk was also charged with common assault relating to a second incident in a similar area of town. The Court heard that just under ten years after the first assault, on 8 September 2018, Chalk was back in Jersey queuing for a taxi at the rank by the Weighbridge. 

As Chalk was getting into the cab, another man walked past the car door when he “knocked against” it, “pushing it inwards towards” Chalk, prompting him to get out of the car before he “ran up behind” the other man. 

It was heard that Chalk “punched [the man] once to the right side of his neck”, causing the other man to “fall face-first onto the floor".

Crown Advocate Yates told the Court that Chalk was being restrained by security guards when he “managed to break free” and fled across the Weighbridge where he tried to hide “in a bush”. He was, however, “immediately located” by a Police officer and arrested when it transpired that he was on the Police 'wanted list' for the 2008 incident. 

The Crown Advocate then recommended that the Deputy Bailiff Tim Le Cocq and his accompanying Jurats Nicolle and Grime should impose a prison sentence of 24 months for the two assaults. 

Pictured: Chalk was arrested after the second assault which took place in September of last year in the Weighbridge.

Chalk was represented by Defence Advocate Adam Harrison described his client’s behaviour as “disproportionate and reckless”, but he argued that the Crown’s recommendation was “slightly too high”.

Arguing for a lower custodial sentence, Advocate Harrison pointed out the delay in pursuing prosecution against his client and, although Chalk “did leave the island... no attempts were made [by the Police] to contact” him and he “genuinely was not aware that there was a matter outstanding".

The Defence Advocate told the Court that, despite his client’s lengthy criminal record, “there is another side to him”.

Having retired to consider the sentence, the Deputy Bailiff remarked that, regarding the first assault, Chalk “struck out after little provocation” and that “it was extremely fortunate that the injuries were not more severe”. 

The Deputy Bailiff described the second assault as a “completely disproportionate reaction” before sentencing Chalk to 18 months in jail. The Scottish national will also be excluded from licensed premises in Jersey for two years after his release.