A thug must pay compensation after he attacked a man and a woman outside a school

A thug who attacked another man and struck a woman outside a school has been given a community order and been ordered to pay £475.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.Chesterfield magistrates' court.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on March 27 how Christopher McCarthy-Jewers, 46, of Chesterfield Road, Alfreton, initially threatened a man at Ripley Junior School gates, on Poplar Avenue, before attacking him and hitting a woman.

Prosecuting solicitor John Cooper said the man had been at the school gates talking to the woman when McCarthy-Jewers appeared in a car and started shouting abuse and threatened to attack him.

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Mr Cooper added that the man reacted by telling him to “go for it” and McCarthy-Jewers got out of the car and punched him before hitting him again.

The woman stated that she managed to push McCarthy-Jewers away but he punched her to the face and she fell to the ground, according to Mr Cooper.

McCarthy-Jewers told police he knew the man and claimed the man had been abusive to him previously and he wanted to confront him to stop him from doing it again.

The defendant claimed he was threatened by the man who he also claimed made a movement to assault him and he believed he had used reasonable force.

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He also claimed the woman had become involved and he had pushed her in the chest to move her.

But the court found McCarthy-Jewers guilty at a previous trial which had been held in his absence.

Mr Cooper said: “The Crown says this is a serious matter. It’s a fight at the entrance to a school.

“There were potentially mothers and children there and it is exactly the unseemly brawl you do not want at a school.”

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McCarthy-Jewers admitted two counts of failing to surrender to custody.

Defence solicitor David Gittins said McCarthy-Jewers had contacted him to say he wanted to plead guilty but it was not possible to put a new plea in place.

Mr Gittins added McCarthy-Jewers has assumed there would be a new court date fixed and these difficulties and mistakes have been linked to his mental health problems.

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McCarthy-Jewers had also been living in a tent and had been receiving medical support from outside the area which had also created problems, according to Mr Gittins.

Magistrates sentenced McCarthy-Jewers to a 12 month community order with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and a two-year restraining order.

He was also fined £40 and must pay £200 compensation, £150 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.