A 68-year-old man from Portland has been found guilty of assault by beating

A 68-year-old man from Portland has been found guilty of assault by beating following an incident arising from a neighbourhood dispute in October 2024.

Peter Brown, of Blacknor Road, Portland, appeared at Weymouth Magistrates’ Court charged in connection with an altercation that took place on 20 October 2024, shortly after 11am.

According to evidence heard in court, the 70-year-old victim reported that Brown had parked his car in a way that partially blocked his driveway. The victim told the court that he then went to Brown’s front door to discuss the matter. The situation was said to have escalated quickly, with Brown allegedly pushing the victim in his garden while telling him to “get the fuck out the way.”

Both men were reported to have walked back toward Brown’s vehicle following the initial confrontation. The victim said that when he knocked on the car window to further explain the issue, Brown exited the vehicle and began swinging punches. The court heard that the victim was struck in the left cheek and on the lower right side of his chin, although he managed to block some blows with his forearm.

Photographs of the injuries were presented to the court, along with an audio recording made by the victim, which prosecutors said supported his account of events.

Brown denied the allegations, claiming he lashed out only after the victim allegedly grabbed his daughter’s arm when she attempted to intervene. The victim strongly rejected this claim, and the court noted that the audio recording did not appear to support Brown’s version of events.

After considering the evidence, magistrates found Brown guilty of assault by beating. The case has been adjourned until March 2026 to allow for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.