Employer must pay £1,000 for assaulting worker's family

Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court heard James Crocker employed his victim for some time before the victim was ‘let down in terms of financial employment’ over a van.

The 31-year-old, of Main Road, Emsworth, was convicted of three assaults by beating and sending a malicious communication in the ‘complicated’ matter.

Graham Heath, prosecuting, said: ‘That came to a head around the time of the offence that was committed by the defendant, who became rather abusive.

‘Others became involved with (the victim) involving his sister and father.

‘Separately the three appeared to be assaulted by the defendant.

‘It seems a case where various parties were looking for each other, no doubt as a result of the messages going back and forth.’

The court heard magistrates ruled the defendant used no self-defence in the assaults, which saw the father pulling the defendant off the worker’s sister.

The News has chosen not to name the victims.

Crocker, whose business buys and sells pallets, threw punches to the son’s face, leaving him with a cut to the nose.

Mr Heath added: ‘The daughter stepped in between the pair and she was grabbed, I’m told grabbed around the throat.

‘The father was having to put the defendant into a headlock to restrain him.’

He suffered a kick to the shin, the court heard.

The incident took place on October 1 last year in Havant after the father and daughter were driving in a car.

Magistrates David Hampshire ordered Crocker to pay £150 compensation to the father of his former worker.

Crocker, who had denied the charges, must complete a 12-month community order 120 hours of unpaid work, pay £775 prosecution costs and an £85 victim surcharge.

The court heard he had suffered an epileptic fit in the incident. He was sentenced last month.