Guilty Of 'mugging' Partygoer

Newcastle Herald

Thursday July 31, 2008

GR

A TANILBA Bay man pleaded guilty yesterday to an incident at a Merewether party in which he smashed a coffee mug on a teenager's face.

Peter Delfine, 20, of Avenue of the Allies, pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning actually bodily harm in Newcastle Local Court. Prosecutors withdrew a more serious charge.

A prosecution statement tendered to the court said Delfine and three friends were acting as "voluntary security" at a party at Hickson Street on December 14 last year.

At about 1am Delfine became involved in an altercation with a group of young people who had moved to the front yard of the house, despite being asked not to.

Some of these people congregated around a Subaru Liberty that Delfine had borrowed from his cousin. One young person leant on the car, and Delfine noticed the passenger side had been scratched from the front door to the rear.

He became angry, pushed one male away, and became involved in an altercation with others.

The victim, 17, approached Delfine from behind and put his hand on his shoulder, the statement said.

He allegedly told him to settle down.

Delfine, who was holding a coffee mug in his right hand, swung out his arm and smashed the mug across the 17-year-old's face.

The teenager walked away holding his face, which was bleeding profusely. He needed six stitches for two wounds, the statement said.

The matter was adjourned to October 8 for sentence.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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