An Exeter man who fought with his former boss over money in a remote logging coupe was found guilty of assault by a Supreme Court jury on Tuesday.
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Kent Matthew Hayes, 39, was found guilty of assaulting Raymond Charles Davis at Lake Leake on October 9, 2019.
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The assault was by pushing him, holding him on the ground, by punching him to his head a number of times, by pulling the jumper he was wearing tight around his neck by grabbing his hair and pulling his head backwards.
The jury heard that Mr Davis suffered a fractured left eye socket and displaced cheekbone arch and fractured bone next to his eyebrow and a cut.
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Hayes gave evidence that he and Davis formerly worked together as treefallers for a couple of years on a handshake agreement.
He said he was owed about $12,500 and had become annoyed that Mr Davis blocked his phone calls and claimed that he had no money.
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He said he had driven to a logging coupe where Mr Davis was working and the pair had a verbal altercation.
"Don't f...ing come down here asking for money you f....c.... I haven't got any, I don't owe you any f...ing money," Hayes gave evidence that Mr Davis had said.
He said that Mr Davis jumped on log holding his chainsaw.
He revved the chainsaw and pirouetted and swung towards me.
- Kent Hayes
Hayes, who admitted to being 190cm and 95kilograms, said Mr Davis slipped off the log and landed on the side of his face on rocks.
He said he kicked the chainsaw away and removed a hatchet from Mr Davis' belt.
The pair then wrestled on the ground but Hayes denied that he had punched Mr Davis or any of the acts of assault alleged by the Crown.
He said Mr Davis had called a halt saying: "That's enough, I've had enough."
He said he was later paid $3500 by Mr Davis and a further $3200 by a company on Mr Davis' behalf.
Justice Michael Brett bailed Hayes to appear for sentence on March 25 at 4.15pm
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