A YOUNG CHILD’S GOOD DEED FOR THE DAY ENDED IN A K

A YOUNG CHILD’S GOOD DEED FOR THE DAY ENDED IN A KARATE-
STYLE PUNCH-UP BETWEEN FOUR HAYES NEIGHBOURS, SOUTHWARK CROWN
COURT HEARD ON WEDNESDAY.

FISTS STARTED FLYING WHEN JAMES AND ANNE RAFFERTY
ARRIVED HOME LATE FROM A NIGHT OUT AFTER PROMISING THEIR
NEIGHBOUR’S SON THEY WOULD BE HOME BY NINE O’CLOCK.

FOR THE YOUNG BOY, WHO REGULARLY BABY-SAT FOR HIS NEXT-
DOOR NEIGHBOURS, HAD TO GET UP AT FIVE O’CLOCK THE NEXT MORNING
TO DO HIS PAPER ROUND, THE COURT WAS TOLD.

BUT THE PAIR DID NOT COME HOME UNTIL MID-NIGHT,
RESULTING IN A BLOODY BRAWL BETWEEN GOOD NEIGHBOURS.

A TUSSLE BETWEEN THE TWO WOMEN STARTED WHEN THE
RAFFERTYS RETURNED TO FIND THEIR FOUR-YEAR-OLD CHILD AT THE
SMITHS HOME, THE COURT HEARD.

‘MR RAFFERTY CAME ALONG AND INTERVENED BY GIVING A
KARATE-STYLE KICK IN MRS SMITH’S FACE,’ SAID MR RICHARD GUY,
PROSECUTING.

WHEN MR SMITH SAW WHAT WAS HAPPENING HE JOINED IN THE
FIGHT.

‘MR SMITH WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE WHEN MR RAFFERTY WENT
BESERK,’ ADDED COUNSEL.

‘SMITH WAS KICKED INTO THE GUTTER AND KICKED WHILE ON
THE FLOOR.

NOT ONLY WAS SMITH’S NOSE FRACTURED BUT HE LOST SOME
TEETH AS WELL.

‘
MRS SMITH TOLD THE JURY: ‘I TOLD MRS RAFFERTY THAT I
DIDN’T WANT MY SON TO BABY-SIT FOR HER ANY MORE, BUT SHE GRABBED
ME BY THE HAIR AND WE HAD A DOMESTIC CAT FIGHT.

‘ANNE AND I WERE SCRAPPING WHEN JAMES CAME ALONG AND
GAVE ME A KARATE KICK IN THE FACE.

‘
SHE ADDED: ‘MY HUSBAND HIT JIMMY THEN JIMMY RUSHED AND
DID A RUGBY TACKLE ON TED.

‘THE NEXT THING I KNEW TED WAS LYING IN THE GUTTER, I
THOUGHT HE WAS DEAD.

HE WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS.

‘
MR SMITH SAID: ‘FOR TWO OR THREE DAYS I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT
HAD HAPPENED THAT NIGHT.

A WEAPON WAS DEFINITELY USED.

I KNOW I
WAS HAMMERED.

‘
JAMES RAFFERTY, 30, A PAINTER, OF FIRST AVENUE, HAYES,
DENIES INFLICTING GRIEVOUS BODILY HARM, AND ASSAULT OCCASIONING
ACTUAL BODILY HARM, ON MR SMITH, 45, A LABOURER, WHO HAS SINCE
MOVED TO WEST AVENUE, HAYES, ON AUGUST 29 LAST YEAR.

RAFFERTY ALSO DENIES ASSAULTING PATRICIA SMITH, 40,
OCCASIONING ACTUAL BODILY HARM.

THE TRIAL CONTINUES.

ENDS.

*