A dad who admitted in court that he was angry when his two year old was woken by a teenage motorcyclist revving his engine was cleared of assault.
At Hemel Hempstead Magistrates Court on Monday, 39-year-old Lee Bennett, of Daggsdell Road, Hemel Hempstead, pleaded not guilty to assaulting the 18-year-old motorcyclist.
The court heard that Mr Bennett had gone up to three youths near his home
after his daughter was woken up by revving sounds on Saturday, September 22.
Magistrates heard how he approached the group shouting and swearing at them to stop the revving.
In evidence by video link the motorcyclist said he was punched "10 or more times" to the side of his helmet, poked in the eye and warned, 'If you're not gone by the time I have got my shoes on, I'll come out and batter you.'
The youth went home and told his parents who contacted police.
Officers' statements said the defendant replied, 'You're joking aren't you' when they went to his home, becoming angry and aggressive about being handcuffed by the police.
At the police station, he said he told the youths he wanted them to leave but the motorcyclist said, 'I'm not going anywhere.'
"I pushed him because he pushed me. He wobbled and rode off.
He probably thought better of it, which was a good idea," he told police.
"At no point did I lay hands on the crash helmet."
One youth rode away on his moped as Mr Bennett approached. The other youth, a pedestrian, said the defendant hit his friend on the crash helmet five or six times, but he did not strike back.
In cross examination, Mr Bennett denied threatening police, saying he had been upset by the whole situation and was still annoyed about it.
The magistrates found Mr Bennett not guilty, dismissing the charge.
Miss Audrey Adams, presiding, said it had not been proved beyond all reasonable doubt.
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