Pollet fight after man is racially abused

Friday 13 November 2020

A prolonged and messy altercation in the Pollet has seen three people brought to court, one of whom was handed a prison sentence and the other two given lengthy community service orders.

Scott Elliot Gray, 41, Arthid Waenlor, 20, and Finley Aitkin, 20, all appeared in the Magistrate's Court for an incident outside Lunar on the 8 August that led to one man being knocked unconscious.

The defendants had been drinking in a nightclub when another man is alleged to have hurled racial abuse at Waenlor. This led to both Waenlor and Aitkin leaving to go outside. However, the situation escalated on the street, where Gray also got involved.

Waenlor ended up punching the man who had racially abused him to the head, leaving him unconscious on the floor. A scuffle then ensued - which was captured in full on CCTV - before being broken up by police.

Picture: Judge Graeme McKerrell refused to allow alcohol as an excuse: "Drink may explain what you did but it does no more than that. You are right to be fearful of immediate custody".

Gray works as a Foreman under licence from the UK. Advocate Phoebe Cobb argued that a custodial sentence would see him lose his job and even his ability to work in the island.

Despite this, Judge Graeme McKerrell sentenced Gray to three months in prison for his part in the fight, citing the seriousness of the offence, the defendant's age and a raft of previous violent convictions in the UK. 

When sentencing the younger defendants he made it clear that the lead up to the incident was not acceptable.

“Racism in any form is to be abhorred. However, no matter how appalling the racism may be, it is no better to resort to violence to deal with it. Two wrongs do not make a right”.

Both Waenlor and Aitkin were handed a community service order of 160 hours unpaid work as a direct alternative to three months imprisonment.