A Hounslow lorry driver who was bound ove? to keep

A Hounslow lorry driver who was bound ove? to keep the peace
in October last year, punched a man a threw him through a shop-window
in December and then, while on bail for that offence, assaulted a
restaurant manager in February this year.

At Isleworth Crown Court today (Wednesday) Graham James
Matthews, 27, of Martindale ?d, Hounslow, was jailed for 18 months
when the court heard that not only did he have previous convictions
for assaults but he was discharged from the Army for similar
behaviour.

Mr Philip Statman, defending, said he was a man ‘wit? two
personalities’ — one when he was soder and ‘quite another when he has
been drinking heavily’.

At midnight on December 12 last year, Roderick Laird, 27 year
old labourer of Northfield Rd, Heston, was waiting outside the
Hounslow bus-garage when he was attacked by Matthews, said Mr George
Hugh-Jones, prosecuting.

‘This defendant came out of the take-away shop, said something
abusive to Mr Laird and then grabbed him and there was a scuffle’,
said counsel.

‘At one stage he was swinging Mr Laird round by his
hair.

He was then punching him before throwing him at the window of
the Barbecue Shop, which smashed’.

Mr Laird suffered cuts to his face and arms which needed
stitches.

Matthews was arrested a short distance away.

He was on bail for that offence when on February 8 he and some
friends who had previously been banned from there, went into the Pizza
Hut in Hounslow.

Manager, Mr Sunil Mehra, 28, asked them to leave.

‘Matthews
picked up a salad bowl and threw it across the restaurant at Mr Mehra
and then began punching him in the face,’ said counsel.

‘As he fell to
the ground, the defendant brought his knee up and Mr Mehra used his
hands to protect his face and suffered a dislocated finger’.

On both occasions the defendant had been drinking, said
counsel.

Det Sgt Anthony Headon told the court Matthews had previous
convictions for two assaults causing actual bodily harm, two common
assaults and one threatening behaviour and had been bound over to keep
the peace.

His army career came to an end in 1984 when he was
discharged for his second offence of striking a superior of?
I??)?
had also assaulted another soldier and been convicted of threatening
and abusive behaviour.

ends*