Telford father-to-be, 18, convicted of assault
A Telford teenager has received a conviction for assault – on the day he was due to become a father.
Connor Park, 18, pleaded guilty to a charge of assault by beating when he appeared at Telford Magistrates Court yesterday – on the same day that his partner was due to be induced to give birth.
Prosecuting at Telford Magistrates Court, Mrs Katie Price said Park had been part of a group of youths who had become involved in an argument about damage to cars in a street in Ironbridge on the evening of April 4. The victim had received a call from a neighbour who sounded distressed and had gone round to her house to find a group of young men outside talking about damage to cars, she said.
Park had become aggressive during the confrontation and the victim had wanted to keep him in his sights, said Mrs Price.
However, when he momentarily looked away Park lashed out and punched him twice to the face, she said.
"He was asking my age and kept telling me his," said the victim in a statement read out to the court.
The police arrived and arrested Park, who lives at Long Leasow, Woodside.
Park was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £50 compensation, £85 prosecution costs and a £15 victim surcharge.
For Park, Mr Jonathan Mason said his client was "embarrassed and ashamed about his behaviour on the night".
Mr Mason said the police had wanted to deal with the offence via a caution but the victim had insisted on him appearing in court and as a result he would receive a criminal conviction on the day that his partner was due to be induced into labour.
Mr Mason said Park had been out drinking with friends that night and had become angry about being accused of causing damage to the cars and claimed to have been pushed.
"He accepts that whatever went on, whatever accusations were made and whether he was pushed or not, he should not have reacted the way he did," said Mr Mason.
