Man's first criminal conviction at 47 after text messages led to kitchen fight

-Credit: (Image: Nottingham Post)
-Credit: (Image: Nottingham Post)


An argument over threatening messages escalated into a full blown fight between two men in the kitchen of one of their Nottingham homes. Nottingham Crown Court heard how Mark Newman left the victim with a cut to the scalp as they grappled and fell to the floor.

The day before, the defendant, of Rise Park, had used a metal tool to smash part of the door of the man he said had sent his messages threatening to hurt his family. Now he has a criminal conviction for the first time at the age of 47.

Handing him a suspended prison sentence, Judge Michael Auty KC said: “You have led, hitherto, a blameless life. But people simply can’t take the law into their own hands because that leads to the breakdown of law and order and the fabric of our society.

“You took a fearsome weapon and knocked a hole in the door and then went back and assaulted him. If he had fallen to the floor awkwardly and hit his head on the hard floor he could have died and you would be going down those stairs on a 10-year sentence.

“From the text messages (he sent) which I have seen I understand the provocation but no-one can take the law into their own hands.”

Hal Ewing, prosecuting, said Newman and the victim had exchanged messages - the contents of which were not divulged to the courts - prior to the two incidents which took place on February 5 and 6, 2022. He said on the first occasion, the man had returned to his home after walking his dogs and was followed down the driveway by the defendant who was holding a metal tool used for lifting drain covers.

The prosecutor said the victim got inside and shut the door and Newman then used the weapon to “repeatedly smash the door” causing damage before leaving. Mr Ewing said: “The next day, the defendant returned and was captured on the victim’s Ring doorbell muttering about threats which had been made to his family.

“He then knocked the cover of the doorbell off and threw it down the garden. The victim then opened the back door and there was an altercation between the two men in the kitchen. They fell to the floor and the defendant struck the victim to the face with the back of his hand.”

Newman, of Ruthwell Gardens, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage and has no previous convictions of any kind. Matt Smith, mitigating, said: “He got himself involved in what the courts will see as an act or retaliation which he deeply regrets.

“When you see some of the messages (the victim sent) one can understand how it provoked a reaction.” Judge Auty handed Newman a nine-month prison term, suspended for two years, with 150 hours unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation sessions.