Punched and kicked his victim

sentenced last Wednesday at Craigavon Magistrates Court.

Kestutis Stonkus, Enniskeen, Craigavon, pleaded guilty to offences which happened on May 5, 2011.

He was sentenced to six months in prison for assault occasioning actual bodily harm with concurrent four month terms for possession of an offensive weapon and disorderly behaviour.

All the sentences were suspended for two years.

The court heard that at 1am in Church Place, Lurgan, there was a disturbance involving a number of males. Stonkus was seen kicking and punching the injured party around the upper body and head while he was lying on the pavement.

A third male was trying to get the defendant away but he was kicked and punched by Stonkus.

When arrested a lock knife with a two and a half inch blade was found in a rear pocket of his jeans.

As he was being handcuffed police noticed that his hands were covered in blood.

The injured party suffered swelling to the left side of his face and cuts to his lips.

Stonkus told police he had been fishing that day and had forgotten to take the knife from his pocket.

A barrister representing the defendant said the pre-sentence report showed that his client had shown remorse.

He explained that Stonkus had been convicted in his absence when he had gone back to Lithuania because his mother was ill and she subsequently died. The lawyer said the defendant had come back to Northern Ireland to make a life for himself.

District Judge, Mrs Bernie Kelly, told Stonkus that these were serious charges fuelled by drink and that he had an alcohol problem which was clear from his record.

She added that it was ‘a vicious attack’ after a verbal altercation and he had told police he didn’t know what was said because it was all in Polish.