A Fernhill man has narrowly avoided jail time after pleading guilty in Milton Local Court to assaulting a man who he believed threatened to damage his car.
On January 29, Jonathon Harrod pulled into the car park of McDonald's Ulladulla where he was confronted by a man who accused him of throwing a drink on his car months earlier.
Harrod, 24 got out of his car, approached the man, exchanged words, pushed him and slapped him across the face.
The defence argued Harrod’s actions were to protect his “most prized possession”, his $60k car, a red Holden Commodore.
Magistrate Gabriel Fleming did not accept this argument and questioned Harrod’s use of force in the matter.
“He hasn’t stopped there has he?” she asked.
“What is stopping him from getting back in the car?
“What is stopping him from walking away?”
Magistrate Fleming accepted there was a verbal argument between Harrod and the victim but did not believe Harrod needed to use force.
“I accept that words were said and they may have upset you, but in a civilised world we don’t respond to words with hits.”
This was not Harrod’s first appearance before the court, after throwing a drink out of the window of a moving car and hitting another driver in 2014.
“What is going on here?” Magistrate Gabriel Fleming asked.
“We have a young person, 24, twice before the court in two years for personal violence matters.
“I find it very hard to understand that these are two one off instances.
“If you come before the court again for a third matter of personal violence you may be looking at jail time.”
Harrod was placed on a good behaviour bond for 12 months and fined $900.
