Guests at house party attacked gatecrashers

A MAN was left with "a mask of blood" over his face after trying to gatecrash a house party.

Bristol Crown Court heard that Zach Cook was beaten up at the party after some of the guests thought he was looking to commit a robbery.

One of the attackers, Rhys Day, kicked and elbowed Mr Cook as he lay prone on the ground outside the party at a house in Albert Parade, Redfield.

Robert Reid, prosecuting, said Mr Cook and two of his friends tried to gatecrash the party in the early hours of the morning.

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He said a neighbour, who was woken up at 2.30am on January 7 by girls screaming, looked outside to find Mr Cook being punched to the floor by a party guest before being punched again by the same man as he lay on the ground.

The neighbour told police the victim had a "mask of blood" over his face.

The court heard the witness saw another man punch Mr Cook before Day emerged from the house bare- chested and stood over the victim as he pleaded with his attackers, saying: "Please, I just want to go home."

Day, 19, of Bifield Gardens, Stockwood, was seen to kick Mr Cook in the stomach before dragging him along the ground, sitting on him then elbowing him to the face.

Mr Reid said: "It appears that at this point, the victim was unconscious and not fighting back."

The court was told that Mr Cook did not want to co-operate with police and discharged himself from hospital. He did not give Mr Reid permission to access his medical records to check the extent of his injuries.

After his arrest, Day told police he had been having a good time at the party before "some kiddies" came in and an argument broke out.

Day said he was hit as he tried to get the men out of the house before a fight started in the street.

He said he was drunk and "saw red" after he had been punched in the face by Mr Cook.

Mr Reid said Day also damaged the wing mirror of a parked car on the same night, as "rage took over".

Day admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage.

Mr Reid said there was strong evidence to suggest that after the assault, Mr Cook returned to the house and kicked the front door in.

The prosecutor said Day had a previous conviction for criminal damage which earned him an 18-month conditional discharge.

Recorder Frank Abbott gave Day, who was not represented by a barrister in court, an 18-month community order and told him to do 150 hours of unpaid work. He was also told to pay £90 compensation for the damage to the car.

The recorder told him: "I think you simply lost it because these men came over to the house, gatecrashed the party and may well have been up to something more sinister.

"Officers think they may have been intent on some sort of robbery.

"I take the view that there's not enough evidence to suggest you were responsible for all these injuries or any of the major injuries to the face.

"There was a real degree of provocation."