"Spontaneous" street puncher caught on CCTV

Sunday 10 September 2023

A 32-year-old man who repeatedly punched another man in the street claimed he was acting in self-defence.

But Ruben Miguel Rodrigues De Freitas later admitted grave and criminal assault, and was sentenced to 120 hours of community service.

The Magistrate’s Court was shown CCTV footage of the attack, which took place in St. Helier on 1 April, in which De Freitas is seen approaching a group of people and lashing out at one of them.

Crown Advocate Lauren Taylor, prosecuting, said: "The victim was left with a bloody nose and reddening to the side of his head."

Advocate Stephen Wauchope, defending, said De Freitas was very remorseful and added: "It was spontaneous. No weapon was used."

He has previous convictions for affray and assaulting a police officer but the advocate said: "They are very much in the past."

The Magistrate did not accept De Freitas’s assertion that he acted in self-defence, saying: "You don’t run towards someone who is going to hit you. You run in the opposite direction.

"This was wholly unnecessary."

She added that the assault was "serious enough for custody" but chose to impose the community punishment.