A 26-YEAR-OLD man who threatened another man with a kitchen knife after stealing more than £2,000 from him has been convicted of common assault.
After a two-day trial in the Royal Court, a jury of seven men and five women decided that Liam Andrew White was not guilty of the more serious charge of grave and criminal assault but found him unanimously guilty of the lesser offence.
Jurors heard that White turned up to a property where the victim was visiting on the evening of 6 November 2023, riding a brand new scooter.
The victim believed White had stolen £2,391 from his bank account and had bought the scooter with it. White later pleaded guilty to the theft in court the following February.
The court heard that when the victim said it was a “nice scooter”, White replied: “It would be nice if I smashed your parents’ windows.”
The victim said that White had then seized a kitchen knife with a 20cm blade and held it close to his face. White did not injure the victim.
The court was also shown a text message White had sent a friend telling him that he had threatened someone with a knife, but White claimed he was merely joking and boasting to impress his friend.
White will be sentenced on 2 May.
