A MAN was left with blood pouring from his head after he was repeatedly hit with knuckle dusters when a fight broke out on a front lawn.
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Andrew Jason Steel fronted Tamworth Local Court after he was arrested, and charged with assaulting a man at a home in North Tamworth.
Court documents reveal the 51-year-old arrived at the victim's home at about 4:20pm on January 17, 2023, and approached the door holding a chainsaw.
When the victim opened the door, he grabbed the chainsaw and called Steel a "thieving piece of s***".
The victim grabbed the 51-year-old's neck and a brawl broke out on the front lawn of the house.
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During the fight, Steel grabbed a set of knuckle dusters out of his pocket, slid them onto his right hand, and struck the victim four or five times with the end of the dusters, the police facts state.
The victim started to "bleed profusely" from his head, while Steel jumped in his car and fled from the scene.
He was arrested by police on Bligh Street a short time later, and taken to Tamworth Police Station where he made full admissions about the brawl.
At the time of the fight, the 51-year-old was subject to a 'Weapons Prohibition Order' which was levelled against him by Tamworth police in 2017.
The prohibition included knuckle dusters.
In court, police prosecutor Sergeant Rebecca Skivington said Steel had taken the assault "one step further" when he pulled the knuckle dusters out of his pocket.
"It appears to have some level of premeditation," she said.
Steel's defence solicitor told the court the assault would have lasted about 10 seconds, and he had the knuckle dusters on him because he thought something might go wrong when he arrived at the home.
The defence solicitor said the 51-year-old had struggled with drug use from a young age, but has started to engage with rehabilitation services, and remove himself from bad influences.
"He's stayed away from socialising with the crowd he was mixing with," the solicitor said.
"He's come a long way so far."
Magistrate Julie Soars was handed a photo of the injury, and a photo of the weapon.
She said the assault was "serious".
"He [victim] had to have several stitches to the head," Ms Soars said.
She convicted the 51-year-old of assault occasioning actual bodily harm; and use prohibited weapon contrary to prohibition order.
Steel was sentenced to a 15 month, Intensive Corrections Order (ICO), or a prison sentence to be served in the community.
"You need to stay away from weapons Sir, they will only lead you to serving a full-time sentence," Ms Soars said.
"This needs to be the last matter of this type".
The 51-year-old must also complete 40 hours of community service, and continue treatment for illicit substances.
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