Prison for drunken assault

Sunday 08 December 2019

A 35-year-old man has been sentenced to seven months in prison for assault, and punching a stranger whilst out in Town.

It was about 22:00 on 1 September when Matthew Papworth was caught on CCTV punching a man to the side of the head.

The victim said he didn't know the defendant and wasn't sure why he had decided to act out against him. The man suffered a swollen lip and cuts inside his mouth, but didn't want to make a complaint at the time.

When questioned by Guernsey Police, Papworth said he didn't remember much about the incident and suggested his medication may have reacted badly with alcohol.

Pictured: The defendant was sentenced in the Magistrate's Court.

The defendant faced two further counts, both against one woman, in Guernsey's Magistrate's Court. The first dates back to 9 May this year, when he struck her to the eye and nose, causing her face to bleed. She went to the Emergency Department at the PEH, but said the swelling began to clear up on its own after a few days.

The second assault took place on 1 September, when Papworth hit the complainant's leg, causing "minor bruising" to her knee.

In his mitigation, Advocate Phoebe Cobb said the defendant had difficulty controlling his anger when drinking. She said he was "ashamed" of what he did and "did not intend to cause an injury".

Advocate Cobb explained how Papworth had ongoing struggles with mental health, with "some underlying issues that are not being addressed".

Although Papworth has an "unenviable record", he had not been before the court for the past year-and-a-half.

On sentencing, Judge Gary Perry gave the defendant credit for his early guilty plea, but said violence was "all too often a feature of late nights in St Peter Port".

"When you drink you are a violent man," he added. "I have no confidence in your ability to comply with [probation or community service] orders."

Instead, Judge Perry sentenced Papworth to a total of seven months in prison.

Pictured top: Les Nicolles.