Man received ‘pummeling’ and car windscreen was damaged during heated town altercation

A heated argument at a town address resulted in a man receiving a “pummeling”, a car being damaged and two culprits being fined.

Robert Oliver, 29, of Columbia Way in Lynn, appeared at the town’s magistrates’ court on Thursday charged with criminal damage and with using threatening or abusive words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of or provoke unlawful violence.

Also in court was 40-year-old Ricky Green, not of the Lynn area, who appeared in relation to the same incident as Oliver, which occurred on June 14. He was charged with the same offence.

Both men pleaded guilty and were sentenced on Thursday.

Crown prosecutor Emma Pocknell said that on the date of his offence, Oliver had woke up during the night at his previous address on St Edmundsbury Road to the sound of shouting from next door.

She said footage showed that he looked as though he was likely to push someone, but “received a beating himself”.

He then proceeded to jump onto the bonnet of a car that Green had arrived in, causing £115 worth of damage to its windscreen.

Earlier in the evening, Green had been playing pool in Lynn town centre. Along with four other family members, they then drove to the St Edmundsbury Road address to complete a “welfare check” on a nephew.

Two women in Green’s party entered the property, and it was then that Oliver “unfortunately” came out, according to Ms Pocknell.

Reportedly hearing loud voices and a woman screaming, Green exited the vehicle and got involved himself.

The entire incident was captured on CCTV footage, although Ms Pocknell said: “I think it is far to say that it was over as quickly as it started.”

Mitigating, Tiffany Meredith suggested that Oliver’s culpability was “very different” to that of Green’s.

Oliver was at home with his partner and young children when Green and his party attended the property, she said, and footage “clearly showed” them banging on a nearby door.

“He (Oliver) has come out to try and address it,” Ms Meredith said.

“He has, of course, not dealt with it in a very appropriate way, but he was concerned for his children.

“He asked them to leave, but they said ‘no, we will go when we want’.

“Having taken a pummeling from the family, he did then unfortunately go to their vehicle. He is not proud.

“He was aggravated at the time, he has dealt with it poorly – he admits that.”

Magistrates, led by Martin Redhead, fined Oliver £120 for his abusive behaviour offence, and ordered him to pay £105 in compensation for his damage to the car.

He will also pay £105 in legal costs and a £48 victim surcharge.

Green, meanwhile, was also fined £120. He will pay £105 in court costs and a £48 surcharge.