Group of young people sentenced for "complex series of charges"

Friday 17 June 2022

A group of people in their late teens and early twenties have been handed sentences for multiple offences, including assault.

The defendents were sentenced last week after pleading guilty to a "complex series of charges". The sentences ranges from custodial sentences to community service.

ASSAULT

Four of the defendants, Demilee Gilbert, Carson Le Prevost, Morgan Dorey and Joel Wilson, were all involved in an incident of assault on 28 January this year where the group launched an attack on a passer-by.

The Magistrate’s Court was shown CCTV footage of the prolonged assault outside the Ship & Crown which saw the victim punched, pulled to the ground and kicked in the body and head while on the ground. 

The prosecution described the scene as “a large scuffle with many moving parts”. 

Pictured: The assault happened in the road between the Crown Pier car park and the Ship & Crown pub. 

Wilson instigated the assault by pushing the victim to the ground, where Le Prevost joined in. Wilson was pulled away from the fight but went back in to continue the assault. 

At one point during the incident Wilson kicked the victim three times, was pulled away again but returned and proceeded to kick the victim in his head. 

Gilbert joined in the assault, hitting the victim while they were on the floor then removing the victim’s shoe and using it to hit him. Le Prevost also kicked the victim, hit them and stamped on them while they were on the ground. 

Throughout the incident, Dorey had repeatedly pulled her associates out of the fight but did not join in assaulting the first victim. 

A woman who was driving past the scene stopped and tried to break up the fight. At this point, Dorey argued with the woman and then proceeded to physically assault her by pushing her back and scratching her. 

Pictured: The victim was kicked in the head and body and stamped on while he was on the ground. 

Police arrived at the scene, but the male victim did not assist police. He said he was uninjured and did not want to make any formal complaint against the group. 

The prosecution said that a common theme of all parties at interview was that they had “little memory” of the incident. Dorey said in her interview that her victim had been “mouthy”.

The incident on 28 January was not the assault charge being faced by Gilbert in court last Thursday. She was also involved in another assault on 4 September last year. 

POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED DRUG

In addition to the assault charge, Dorey also pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled drug in April this year. 

While on bail for the assault, Dorey had been a passenger in a vehicle which was stopped by police officers over concerns of erratic driving. While officers searched the vehicle, Dorey asked for her bag to be given to her. Police found 12 Tramadol tablets in a tobacco pouch in Dorey's bag. 

Dorey initially said that she had a prescription for the controlled Class C drug, however later admitted that to be a falsehood. 

Pictured: Tramadol is a controlled Class C drug and opioid which requires a prescription. 

CRIMINAL DAMAGE AND OBSTRUCTION OF POLICE

Le Prevost faced two further charges, which were committed after his assault arrest, putting him in breach of his bail conditions. 

On 11 March 2022 Le Prevost was involved in a fight with one other individual in the area of Trinity Square. Police officers attended the scene and were talking to Le Prevost about the incident. While talking with officers, Le Prevost reportedly "stared at a window" before smashing it with his elbow, causing £400 of damage to the window. 

The prosecution reported that Le Prevost was "immediately apologetic" at the scene and said he had "taken a beating" and needed to take his frustration out on something, but had not intended to cause the damage. 

Le Prevost was then involved in another incident on 8 May at La Mare de Carteret playing fields. 

Police officers had attended the scene after reports of a brawl with a crowd of around 200 young people. A young man had been arrested and his mother had been "demanding answers" from officers. The mother's behaviour became a problem and officers deemed it necessary to arrest her but she began walking away. 

Pictured: Le Prevost obstructed police at a large-scale incident at the La Mare de Carteret playing fields on 8 May. 

Le Prevost positioned himself in between officers and the woman and walked backwards (facing the officers) with his arms outstretched as the woman continued to walk away. 

Officers deemed Le Prevost to be "displaying signs of drunkeness", in breach of his bail condition to not consume alcohol. Le Prevost was arrested at the scene and charged with obstructing police officers in their line of duty and breaching a condition of his bail. 

DEFENCES

Guilbert

Advocate Liam Roffey acknowledged Guilbert's involvement in both the January assault and the other charge of assault relating to 4 September 2021, but asked the court to "exercise a degree of mercy".  

Advocate Roffey highlighted that Guilbert is "only 19" and had no previous matters on her record. He also said that she suffered from mental health difficulties and that her ability to regulate her emotions had been impacted by negative childhood experiences. 

Le Prevost

Advocate David Domaille said that Le Prevost did not challenge the prosecution's version of events and "accepts that, due to the gravity of the assault, that custody is the only realistic option". 

Advocate Domaille further acknowledged that the other two charges were aggravating factors. 

Pictured: All four defendants were sentenced on Thursday 16 June in the Magistrate's Court. 

Dorey

Also representing Dorey, Advocate Domaille highlighted that she had pleaded guilty to the charges at the earliest opportunities and had cooperated with police, with the exception of her initial lie about having a prescription for the Tramadol tablets. 

"My client was the peacemaker throughout the assault and had intervened several times, using all her physical strength to pull her associated out of the fight," he said. 

"It was only at the end that she committed an assault [on the woman], but says this was in response to a threat of assault initially made by the victim. My client is very upset with herself after trying to do her best to stop the fighting. She is terrified of going to prison."

Wilson

Advocate Green acknowledged that the custody threshold had been crossed in respect of the assault charge against Wilson. 

"My client takes full responsibility and understands that the court will be very concerned by the nature of the assault. He is in no doubt of the seriousness of kicking the victim in the body and head and he deeply regrets his actions," said Advocate Green. 

"My client has personally apologised to the victim, who he saw in public. His apology was sincere and it was fully accepted by the victim."

The court was read a letter of apology from Wilson explaining his "deep regret" of his actions, which he said were "very out of character" for him. He said his actions were "disgusting". 

Advocate Green said that Wilson had shown a certain level of insight, suffers with ADD, anxiety and depression and had a "relatively light" offending history. 

Pictured: Le Prevost and Wilson were each given custodial sentences by Judge McKerrell. 

SENTENCES

Judge McKerrell handed down the following sentences: 

Guilbert: Six month youth detention sentence, suspended for two years to run concurrently with her three month suspended sentence for the September assault. 

Dorey: 70 hours community service

Le Prevost: Nine month custodial sentence (consisting of eight months for the assault,  two months concurrent and one month consecutively for the other charges)

Wilson: Five month custodial sentence (including 1 day concurrently)