Stab sentencing adjourned to find a lawyer

Monday 11 August 2014

A shop owner convicted of stabbing his business partner had his sentencing adjourned by the Royal Court last week in order for him to seek legal representation.

Neil William Bennett (49), who ran the menswear business White Collar, was found guilty in June of committing a grave and criminal assault on Justin Sumrie after he attacked him with a knife, stabbing him three times, following a night out last September.

The victim was left with potentially life threatening injuries after the blade pierced his liver and he was subsequently airlifted to Southampton University Hospital where he was admitted into intensive care.

Bennett, who has consistently denied the charge, has since fired his lawyer and yesterday appeared in court for sentencing, but the case was adjourned until 29^th August after the prosecution submitted a late claim for compensation which Bennett only became aware of a few minutes before the hearing.

In light of the late notice, UK Commissioner Peter Beaumont indicated that Bennett would be “pushing at an open door” if he sought a deferment of the compensation issue and it was subsequently agreed that both sentencing and the compensation matter be put back as, in Crown Advocate Matthew Jowitt’s words, “he should not be representing himself in such a serious matter”.

The court also heard that Bennett was pursuing a claim against his former business partner as he alleges that Sumrie conspired with shop employees to take thousands of pounds worth of stock and takings from the Broad Street store during the three weeks Bennett had spent on remand in the lead up to his trial, and that customers had been told to pay for goods with cash to avoid sales being recorded on card machines.

Having failed with a bail application, Bennett was remanded in custody until his next appearance, at which time a date will be set for sentencing.

In the meantime, he was urged by Commissioner Beaumont to engage another lawyer.

“If you do afford yourself the opportunity, you must take steps immediately to ensure any freshly-instructed advocate is fully up to speed in the matters the court will be dealing with,” said Commissioner Beaumont.