AN OFFENDER assaulted a man who had previously supplied him with cannabis by causing him to fall from his e-scooter before punching him while he was on the ground.

Morgan Michael Frenna was riding a bicycle when he chased the complainant, who was on an e-scooter, along a residential road in Poole.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard the defendant made contact with the other man, which resulted in him going over the handlebars and crashing to the ground.

He suffered two broken bones in his lower leg and heavy bleeding as well as significant injuries to his teeth.

It was not agreed whether it was a push or grab from Frenna which led to the complainant coming off the scooter, while it was also disputed whether the defendant pinned the man down and punched him in the face or body.

Richard Martin, representing 23-year-old Frenna, submitted it was his client’s case that it was a push and he punched the man in the body.

Judge Jonathan Fuller KC, who questioned the delay in the case coming to court and being dealt with, decided to sentence the defendant without concluding which version of events was correct.

“If this matter had been dealt with sooner and had the evidence been clear as to how these injuries came about, the chances are you would be going directly inside to custody today,”Judge Fuller KC told Frenna.

The judge said the public interest was in favour of not sending the defendant straight to prison.

He added: “You caused those injuries and they are serious and you know what a significant impact it has had on him.

“It is clear that you are remorseful for what you have done.”

Frenna, of Newland Way, Poole, pleaded guilty to a single charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm in Southill Road, Newtown, on March 21 last year.

He received an eight-month sentence, suspended for 12 months, at a hearing on November 1.

Prosecuting, John Dyer read two victim personal statements from the complaint.

Referencing the first statement, from October last year, Mr Dyer said: “The injuries have had a significant impact on his life.”

The complainant had to move in with his father and he was unable to walk or stand for more than 10 minutes.

In a more recent statement from May this year, the man said he was still feeling significant pain and he still had not been able to pursue his ambition of working as a painter and decorator.

Mr Dyer said the complainant had been quoted £1,900 for dental treatment from teeth injuries he sustained in the incident.

The court heard there had been some form of disagreement between Frenna and the complainant, which had led to the latter refusing to sell the defendant any further cannabis.

After this dispute, the Frenna said words to the effect of “I am going to find out where you live and you are going to get it”, Mr Dyer said.

Mitigating, Richard Martin said there had been a 10-month delay before Frenna was charged.

Mr Martin said there was sufficient reason to impose a suspended sentence.

Frenna, who had no previous convictions, was in employment and able to pay compensation, the barrister said.

Judge Fuller KC told the defendant: “You have pleaded guilty to one offence of inflicting grievous bodily harm on a young man who was somebody you knew. You had a history with him. He supplied up with cannabis. There had been some sort of argument or fall out before.

“So it was on March 21 with some grievance you deliberately set about chasing him whilst you were on your bicycle and he was on his scooter.

“You reached out and whether it was a push or a grab it does not matter. Your intention was to get him to fall off his scooter. He went over the handlebars.”

Frenna was ordered to pay £1,500 compensation, follow a 7pm to 6am curfew for three months and carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.