Rowan Ritchens avoids jail over lying to police about flatmate’s assault
They’d get drunk together, have a laugh and even a wrestle, but when these flatmates came to blows for real it left one with permanent injuries, another in prison and a third facing the court charged with lying to police.
Central Coast
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A man who lied to police about his flatmate leaving their other house mate with a badly fractured skull has narrowly avoided jail.
Rowan Anthony Ritchens was put on an Intensive Corrections Order (ICO) for 20 months and has to perform 100 hours of community work following a drunken night out with his two flatmates, which ended in one suffering permanent head injuries and the other jailed for four years.
Ritchens, 26, of Gorokan, pleaded guilty to providing false information to police with the intent of perverting the course of justice and was sentenced in Gosford District Court on Monday.
It came after Maxwell Crimmins, 25, of Gorokan, was sentenced last year to six years jail with a non-parole period of four years for recklessly assaulting their housemate Nathan Joyce, also 25, on May 28, 2017.
Police facts stated that Crimmins and Mr Joyce had known each since high school and would often wrestle when they were drunk, although they would never throw a punch at the face.
On the night of the assault, the two men went to a party in Lisarow with Ritchens.
Crimmins and Mr Joyce were kicked out of the party after they became “really drunk” and Crimmins was aggressive with fellow partygoers.
They were moved on by police after being caught wrestling near Lisarow High School.
Mr Joyce’s sister ended up driving them home to Gorokan and overheard her brother say that Crimmins had cost him his relationship with his girlfriend after his behaviour at the party.
Crimmins was heard saying, “I could take you both on. I’ll show you how tough I am.”
But at 12.20am, Crimmins called Triple-0 and said: “Please, please, me and my friends have had an argument. He’s unconscious as f***. I knocked him out”.
Crimmins and Ritchens drove Mr Joyce to Wyong Hospital.
Police attended and saw that Crimmins had blood stains on his pants and upper body, as well as cuts to his hands.
But when police spoke to the pair, they claimed they were inside the Wallarah Rd house and came out to find Mr Joyce lying in a pool of blood in the road. They also claimed they saw an unidentified man running away from the scene.
In June 2017, police obtained warrants for the men’s mobile phone service and a listening device at the home.
On the listening device Ritchens was recorded saying they were “sticking to that story” about an unknown man being responsible for the assault on Mr Joyce.
Mr Joyce had neurosurgery, and was “completely disoriented” for six weeks.
He also had cranioplasty to repair a skull defect and is deaf in his right ear.
Crimmins, meanwhile, will be eligible for parole on October 17, 2022.