Not Guilty Verdict In Triple Glassing

Newcastle Herald

Friday December 5, 2008

GR

A 21-YEAR-OLD man has been found not guilty of glassing three young men at a Newcastle hotel last June.

A Newcastle District Court jury found Joel Douglas Barton, of Emerald Street, Hamilton North, not guilty of three counts of malicious wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, after a three-day trial.

Judge Ralph Coolahan had directed the jury that it could return a verdict of not guilty if satisfied that there was insufficient evidence to convict Barton, who had pleaded not guilty to all three counts.

The victims were left with head, neck and facial wounds, the court heard.

CCTV footage was shown during the trial, which showed Barton had left the Crown and Anchor Hotel before the incident, on June 28 last year.

Barton's barrister, Paul Marr, told the court the case was one of mistaken identity.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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