A MAN who refused to give evidence at a “degrading” assault trial has been made an example of by a supreme court justice.
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Mark Paul Phillips took the stand during the trial of Jason Edward Richards earlier this month, but refused to answer questions about his involvement in an assault on a man in a West Launceston garage in February 2014.
Phillips was charged with contempt for his refusal.
He pleaded guilty, but said he couldn’t give evidence because he was unable to speak about his abhorrent crimes – the same crimes that Mr Richards was also being accused of.
The state had accused Mr Richards of being involved in the attack, which had seen Phillips and a third man Adam Maxwell Cox use a chainsaw, shotgun, machete and other items to torture the man over several hours.
Phillips had pleaded guilty to the same crimes earlier this year and was jailed.
Mr Richards was found not guilty.
Cox also sexually assaulted the man with a broom handle and was jailed.
In the Launceston Supreme Court on Thursday, Justice Shan Tennent said Phillips had “held the court to ransom”.
Justice Tennent acknowledged that Phillips regretted his involvement in the crime, but said that was not an excuse for failing to give evidence.
She said the victim was forced to give evidence twice, after a decision was made to split the co-accused’s trials into three.
“There can be little doubt this is a serious contempt.
“You held the Crown to ransom twice (by not showing up at his own trial for the assaults and refusing to give evidence at Mr Richards’).”
Phillips was handed six months’ jail by Justice Tennent, to be served on top of his 27 months’ jail for the assaults in 2014.