A man who told police he assaulted a service station worker because “he said my grandmother’s undies smelled” has fronted court for sentencing.
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Lake Albert resident Ricky Jenkins, 32, was caught on CCTV punching an employee in the head and face at a Fitzmaurice Street Caltex after a drunken night out.
Documents tendered to Wagga Local Court described the incident as “an unprovoked and unexpected assault to the victim”, who was visibly shaken after suffering lacerations to his eye and a bloody nose.
Jenkins first arrived at the Caltex about 3:30am on April 21, when he started making “verbally abusive and derogatory” comments towards the victim.
He left after the victim threatened to call the police, but returned about an hour later, marched towards the victim, punched him in the face, and pulled him to the ground.
He fled the scene on foot, but was quickly found by police, telling them “I punched him in the mouth” after he made the alleged comments about his grandmother.
In court, solicitor David Barron said his client had been in trouble in the past for using violence to defend his family’s honour.
“He’s always been inappropriately protective of his family, and being protective of your family is good, but how you do it is the issue," Mr Barron said.
“He recognises how ridiculously he acted that evening – he felt free to insult the other fellow, but, as soon as the other fellow said something about his grandma, he assaulted him and caused injuries,” Mr Barron said.
Magistrate Christopher Halburd said Jenkins’ criminal record did him no favours, noting he had already been jailed for violence.
“He’s just got an appalling record for violence,” Mr Halburd said.
“What’s changed? How many times has he been to jail for matters of violence?”
Mr Barron accepted his client had a problem with alcohol and violence, but said he had been sober since entering a rehabilitation program shortly after the incident.
“It’s not about controlling his drinking anymore, it’s about abstinence now – he can’t have one foot in the door and have a drink,” Mr Barron said.
The magistrate ordered an intensive corrections report on Jenkins to see if he was fit to serve his sentence in the community rather than jail.
Jenkins will return to court on September 17.
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