Glenn Cowling: Nowra business owner assaulted auto mechanic over allegedly faulty modification

A South Coast small business owner has been chastised by a magistrate after hurling a honey tub at an auto part dealer during a disagreement.

An altercation between two Nowra small business owners has landed one of the men in court after tensions boiled over during an argument about an allegedly dodgy car modification, with the man lobbing a tub of honey at his frightened victim.

Glenn Cowling pleaded guilty at Nowra Local Court on Tuesday to assaulting the owner of Fulgi’s South Coast Automotive and Dismantling during an altercation at the South Nowra auto shop on June 29.

According to court documents, the 43-year-old, who is the owner of South Nowra’s Budget Curtains, had known the dealer for about one year after purchasing car modifications which were installed on his vehicle.

“About 9am, Cowling attended the victim’s business to confront him due to the belief that the victim had installed faulty car parts on Cowling’s car,” according to the police documents.

“Cowling engaged in a heated verbal argument with the victim who was standing behind the reception counter.”

Fulgi’s South Coast Automotive and Dismantling. Picture: Facebook

During the argument, Cowling repeatedly demanded his money back.

“Cowling was abusive and aggressive towards the victim,” the police documents state.

“He called the victim a ‘f*****g dodgy c**t’.

“Due to the Cowling’s aggressive behaviour, the victim informed the accused he was on CCTV, which he ignored and continued to yell.”

Cowling continued to verbally berate the auto shop owner, knocking over a tub of honey from the counter in the process.

“Cowling picked up another tub of honey from the reception counter and threw it at the victim, hitting the victim in the stomach,” police state.

“The victim was not injured as a result of the honey hitting him.

“Cowling proceeded to leave the premises via the front reception door. The victim then contacted police.”

On July 25, police visited Budget Curtains South Nowra to interview Cowling, with the whole incident having been recorded on CCTV.

Budget Curtains South Nowra. Picture: Google Maps

Cowling admitted to police that he threw the tub of honey but told officers he believed it was because the victim had put his family at risk.

On Tuesday, solicitor Robert Foster told Nowra Local Court the argument had escalated over weeks but that Cowling was not violent.

“This is not part of a wider pattern of intimidation,” he said.

“He is not usually a violent person and does not have a history of it.

“He will resolve the issue by commercial legal means, now.”

In sentencing, Magistrate Lisa Viney told Cowling that he should have “known better” at his age.

“There were other revenues against someone who you believed completed poor workmanship,” she said.

Cowling was sentenced to a 12-month conditional release order.