Council Highways Expert Convicted Of Drunken Midnight Street Attack

Guilty: Richard Hamilton

A local government officer attacked a stranger in the street during a drunken midnight confrontation following a boozy leaving do.

Highways engineer Richard Hamilton, 48, who is employed by the London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames bashed the architectural assistant's head against the pavement.

Civil engineer Hamilton, of Stoneydeep, Twickenham Road, Teddington, denied, but was convicted of assaulting 25 year-old Lucas Docherty.

Wimbledon Magistrates Court heard it was 12.30am on October 15, last year when Hamilton, who was walking along Twickenham Road with a pint glass in his hand, bumped into Mr. Docherty.

“I had just got out of a cab and was walking towards my house and was approached by someone and bumped into,” he told the court.

“It was almost on purpose and whether it was aggressive or due to alcohol, I don't know.

“I asked him if he was alright and he said something about not knowing where he was and was trying to get home.”

Mr. Docherty offered to help and began walking Hamilton to the nearest bus stop.

“He had a pint glass in his hand and I asked where he got it from and he tried to put it over the top of my head.

“He came behind me as if he was trying to hit my head. He sat on me and was repeatedly bashing my head against the pavement.

Attacked: Lucas Doherty

“There was around twenty hits on the pavement and I thought this could really do some damage.”

Fortunately police saw the assault and intervened.

“He was sitting on me when the police arrived and I had a bit of blood coming from the back of my head and there was a gash.”

Earlier that day Hamilton had visited the Institution of Civil Engineers and attended a Richmond function, where he consumed approximately six pints and a measure of whiskey.

He claimed Mr. Docherty was the aggressor and denied bumping into the victim.

He claimed the victim followed him and confronted him with the words: “Have you got a problem?”

He denied hitting Mr. Docherty with the pint glass, insisting he had to pin him to the floor to protect himself.

Police said Hamilton was “swaying” and had to lean against the police car to remain upright.

He told the officers he felt threatened by Mr. Docherty and held him to the floor in self-defence.

The magistrates found the £37,000 a year highways expert guilty of the street attack and conditionally discharged him for two years.

Hamilton was also ordered to pay £100 compensation to Mr. Docherty, £500 court costs and a £20 victim surcharge.