Otley youth has to pay £165 for assault (From Wharfedale Observer)

Otley youth has to pay £165 for assault

8:08am Tuesday 4th September 2007 in Local news By Newsdesk

HIGH jinks with a rugby ball earned an Otley teenager a court appearance last week - and a dressing down from a magistrate.

Stuart Davison, 19, of Cambridge Terrace, Otley, pleaded guilty at Harrogate Magistrates' Court on Friday to assaulting Police Community Support Officer Alison Gill. He had a drunk and disorderly charge dropped.

Prosecutor Steven Ovenden said Miss Gill had been asked to investigate an incident outside the Great Yorkshire Show showground in Hookstone Drive, Harrogate, where concerned members of the public had reported a group of drunken men tossing a rugby ball between them.

When she spotted the group indulging in somewhat boisterous behaviour' she told them to calm down and put out her arm to stop Davison.

As he sought to pass her his arm came into contact with the officer's causing bruising.

In mitigation, Clive Farndon said Davison, a hard-working apprentice joiner, who had acted out of character, had been to the show with friends on July 12 and they had had something to drink in the course of the afternoon.

They had left in high spirits and had been throwing a rugby ball about. When the officer wanted Davison to stop, he wouldn't. He regretted his stupid behaviour and realised he should not have tried to struggle free.

Court chairman Gordon Charlton fined Davison £50 and ordered costs of £50, compensation to Miss Gill of a similar amount and £15 victims' surcharge.

He told Davison: This is a salutary lesson for being rather silly. Bear this in mind when you are next in high jinks.''