A teenager who was only released from prison last month has now managed to breach a probation order just one week after receiving it.
Anthony Robert Collis, of Fairfield Terrace, Douglas, claimed to be friends with the man he spent an evening drinking with before attacking him by punching him in the face.
It proved an ill-advised course of action because his so-called friend pinned him to the ground and called the police.
When interviewed by police after the 1am fracas, which took place at a flat in Belmont Terrace in Douglas, the 19-year-old told them: ‘I hit him a couple of times with my fists because he was winding me up.’
For the prosecution, James Robinson told the court the victim suffered swelling on his cheek as a result of the attack; the defendant suffered bruised knuckles.
Collis later admitted hitting the other party more than five times.
The teenager was released from prison on August 16 and just two days later assaulted another resident at David Gray House, where he was staying. On September 20, he received two years’ probation for this attack, which he then breached just seven days later with the latest incident.
Defending him, Jim Travers drew the court’s attention to his client’s youth and the fact that the probation order had not been given a chance to take effect as yet.
‘He is back in a similar - or worse - position than at last week’s appearance,’ he said.
But he pointed out Collis had admitted the 1am offence literally on the same day (September 27) as it happened.
‘He did make admissions during police interview that he threw several punches and it’s clear he was held and restrained for several minutes before police arrived, by the man he had hit.’
He said prior to the attack, Collis had been friends with the victim for seven or eight years.
‘He had been drinking for some time with the victim then he began to react badly to some things that were being said by the victim. A probation order imposed seven days ago has not yet had chance to take hold,’ he said.
Magistrates’ chairman Anita Ardern said: ‘This was drunken violence shortly after a probation order imposed for drunken violence, following an earlier release from custody.’
He received six weeks’ custody suspended for two years; no action was taken in relation to the probation breach.