Groom Joshua Bovis and dad guilty of buck’s brawl at the Boathouse
Newlywed Joshua Bovis pleading guilty to his part in a wild clash with police during his buck’s party.
Joshua Bovis and his father Michael Bovis pleaded guilty to using violence to cause fear, assaulting police and failing to quit a licenced premises at Gosford Local Court.
Michael Bovis also pleaded guilty to recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm of a bouncer.
Police facts tendered in court have revealed for the first time details of the drunken melee, which began when a group of men celebrating Joshua’s buck’s night were refused entry to the Boathouse Hotel at Patonga.
The party was drinking at the Newport Arms Hotel on February 23 when they caught a ferry to Patonga sometime after 6pm.
Each of the men were dressed in distinctive Hawaiian shirts.
When they approached the Boathouse a staff member determined they were noticeably affected by alcohol and denied them entry.
“At this point (the staff member) was met by hostility from numerous persons, distinctly the accused Joshua Bovis who took particular offence to being refused,” police facts read.
“After being told several more times, Joshua Bovis approached (the staff member) before slapping him a number of times to the back of the head.”
Police arrived at about 7pm and spoke to the staff member who pointed out Joshua Bovis, of Ettalong Beach, in a yellow and black Hawaiian shirt.
Police went to arrest him but he pushed one officer’s hand away.
Fearing he would overcome by Joshua Bovis the officer deployed a burst of capsicum spray to his face “with little effect”.
“Seconds later Joshua Bovis threw a flurry of 5 to 6 punches at (the Senior Constable) each of which struck him in the face and head,” the facts read.
“This resulted in a major violent confrontation to commence.”
As the officer was trying to arrest him, his father Michael Bovis, 48, of Ettalong Beach, stood in front of his son and refused to move “causing the situation to escalate”.
As this was going on several others of the group attempted to intervene but were told to stay back by another officer.
Another co-accused Cullen Richardson, 18, became more aggressive so police fired another shot of capsicum spray at him and the others.
During the altercation, police facts said Richardson was heard to yell foul mouthed obscenities towards the police.
While attempting to diffuse the situation, it is alleged one officer was approached from behind by a fourth co-accused Luke Maloney, 35, who allegedly tackled him forward to the ground, onto his elbows and knees.
Police allege Mr Maloney lay on the officer with all his body weight and got the officer in a choke hold.
Close to blacking out, the officer managed to spray the accused, according to court documents.
A court heard a bouncer saw what was happening and ran over and began to yell “get off the cop, get off the cop”.
The bouncer pushed the man off the officer, which police said without his assistance the officer “would have lost complete consciousness”.
Together they assisted the other officer who was being overpowered by the two Bovis’.
During the ensuing struggle someone managed to usher Michael Bovis away allowing Joshua to run down to the beach with the officer in tow.
The officer fired his taser and Joshua dropped and was arrested.
Meanwhile Michael Bovis approached the bouncer and began punching him to the face several times.
The bouncer signalled to police for help and they came over and peppered Michael Bovis with OC spray.
The bouncer was taken to hospital where X-rays revealed his jaw was broken in two places requiring surgery.
“The victim will require his jaw to be wired closed,” the facts read.
“The victim also suffered loose, chipped and possible lost teeth which is currently being investigated.”
Police facts reveal at the time there were many young families around with several rushing to their cars to get away from the violence.
In April Richardson pleaded guilty to using violence to cause fear, offensive language and failing to quit a licenced premises and was put on a community corrections order for 12 months and fined $100.
Joshua and Michael Bovis were adjourned for sentence on August 15 while Maloney is yet to enter any plea to assaulting police, using violence to cause fear and failing to quit a licenced premises.
He returns to court on August 8.
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