A 21-YEAR-OLD man who kicked another man in the face and posted a picture of his victim on social media, showing off the injuries he had inflicted, has been jailed for a year.
Jose Guilherme Vieira Da Costa punched the 23-year-old in the back of the head, knocking his glasses off during the grave and criminal assault, the Royal Court heard. As he stooped to pick them up Da Costa kicked him in the side of his head, leaving him needing hospital treatment. He suffered red and purple bruising to his face and was unable to open his left eye.
Crown Advocate Carla Carvalho, prosecuting, said Da Costa had a “history of violent behaviour” and that after the attack, which took place on the afternoon of 23 June last year, Da Costa took a photo of the victim and posted it on Facebook.
The court heard Da Costa was also in breach of a 120-hour community service imposed in March for a sexual offence against a child under 16. Sex offenders have to provide their new address to police when they move home but he had failed to so – and it took officers two weeks to track him down after the assault.
“He has shown total disregard for court orders,” Advocate Carvalho said. “He has accepted little or no responsibility and has said he would do the same thing again.”
Advocate Greg Herold-Howes, defending, said Da Costa had been goaded by the victim, who had turned up outside his mother’s house and had shouted abuse, calling him a “pedo”.
Advocate Herold-Howes said: “There was significant provocation.”
Deputy Bailiff Robert MacRae said the Jurats had taken into account the fact that Da Costa was 20 at the time of the incident.
But he added that it was down to “good fortune rather than good judgment” that the victim did not suffer permanent injuries.
Jurats Christensen and Entwistle were sitting.
