A drunken romp at a Christmas party turned violent, and a man was ordered to pay over £13,000 in compensation for strangling a coworker, severely damaging his teeth.
Robert Wagstaff, 34, of Heather Meadow, Fladden, appeared at Truro Crown Court on Wednesday.
The court heard that the incident occurred in December 2021 at a work party in Wadebridge. Wagstaff, acting as a prank after drinking excessively, suddenly grabbed a coworker by the neck from behind. The action caused the victim to lose consciousness and fall heavily, severely damaging his teeth.
Although Wagstaff denied causing actual bodily harm, claiming he was trying to grab the victim when he slipped, the jury was unconvinced. CCTV footage played in court showed him holding the coworker in a chokehold for 16 seconds until the victim fell unconscious.
Judge James Adkin stated that the jury unanimously agreed that Wagstaff’s actions went beyond joking and amounted to criminal assault. A subsequent dental checkup revealed that the victim had suffered multiple chipped teeth, requiring costly dental restorations.
Wagstaff was sentenced to community service and required to complete 120 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £4,380 in legal costs and £9,442 in compensation for the dental treatment.
