Plymouth man 'repeatedly punched and kicked 62-year-old in street'

A MAN viciously assaulted his aunt's partner by repeatedly punching and kicking him in the street and breaking his cheekbone, a court heard.

Paul Easby, aged 35, hit the man to the ground and then tried to pull two bracelets from his wrist, Plymouth Crown Court was told.

Elaine Hobson, opening his trial for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Alan Clarke was viciously assaulted by Paul Easby and during the course of that assault or immediately afterwards he tried to steal two bracelets from him."

Miss Hobson said the two knew each other and had talked in the Clarence Pub in Stonehouse on the evening of November 30, 2011.

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She added that Easby followed the 62-year-old and repeatedly punched him in nearby Rendle Street at about 6pm.

Miss Hobson said: "Alan Clarke was trying to protect himself from this onslaught by putting his arms around his head."

The court heard that his cheekbone was fractured.

Miss Hobson showed the jury CCTV footage which she said showed him repeatedly punching and kicking Mr Clarke about the head.

Garth Richardson, for Easby, told the jury that the defendant admitted punching Mr Clarke, but said the injuries did not amount to grievous bodily harm.

He added that Easby denied trying to take the bracelets from Mr Clarke, who is the partner of his aunt.

Easby, of Cornwall Beach, Devonport, denies causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

He also pleads not guilty to the alternative of causing grievous bodily harm without intent. Easby finally denies attempted robbery as part of the same incident.

Mr Clarke, who walked into court with the aid of a stick, said: "I went down Rendle Street and the next thing I know I am belted from behind. I didn't hear anybody come up to me. I tried to get hold of him and I ended up on the floor."

He added he thought he was punched "half a dozen times" and he also "put the boot in".

Mr Clarke said Easby tried to "rip off" the two bracelets on his wrist, one a gold bracelet.

He said: "I cannot understand why he did it."

Mr Richardson suggested in cross-examination that Mr Clarke had never liked Easby because "he had been in trouble with the police". Mr Clarke denied this.

He asked Mr Clarke whether he had asked Easby's girlfriend for sex in exchange for money.

Mr Clarke said: "I would never, never, never do that."

Mr Richardson said Easby challenged Mr Clarke about what had happened before hitting him. But he denied that Easby kicked him.

The trial continues.