Jack and Harry Whitton to be sentenced for knifepoint assault on Kingston ‘trespasser’

A pair of weapon-wielding Hobart twins who chased down an innocent stranger who they thought trespassed on their property – before one held a combat knife to the man’s throat – have been found guilty of assault.

Harry (L) and Jack (R) Whitton, 22. Both Harry and Jack were found guilty of common assault where they confronted a stranger while armed with knives near their Kingston address.

A pair of weapon-wielding Hobart twins who chased down an innocent stranger who they thought had trespassed on their property – before one held a tactical combat knife to the man’s throat – have been found guilty of assault.

In a case described as “bizarre” by their lawyer, twins Jack and Harry Whitton, 22, recently appeared in Hobart Magistrates Court where Magistrate Marcia Duvnjak handed down her decision.

Both had pleaded not guilty to identical counts of common assault and destroy property, arising from an incident on September 4, 2022 in Kingston.

The court was told at about 12.45am, the male complainant was walking on the footpath past the twins’ family home on Corlacus Dr when he heard someone shouting “who the f--k are you?” as well as orders for him to stop.

The man said he saw two people chasing him with knives so he ran to nearby Kelp St, where he fell to the ground, and the pair stood over him.

Kingston resident Jack Whitton, 22, was found guilty of common assault and destroy property. Picture: Facebook

One, who the court identified as being Jack Whitton, held a black-handled combat knife to the man’s neck – while Harry stood behind his brother, holding a wooden-handled steak knife.

The court heard Jack ordered the man to “give me your wallet”, while Harry asked for his shoes and phone.

The pair returned home with the man’s belongings and the man ran to get help from an approaching car, driven by a woman, who helped him call the police.

An officer who spoke to the Whittons was told the pair had believed someone had been “on their property” and had earlier heard doors “opening and closing” and “some guy walking up the driveway with a flashlight”.

Jack made a call to triple-0 where he said he and Harry had found the man “walking up the driveway” and that they had chased him, and that they had his wallet.

Jack later told police he had not seen the man on his property – but denied holding a knife to the man’s throat.

CCTV footage from a neighbouring property showed no sign of the man – but it did depict both twins running down their driveway, calling out and yelling – Ms Duvnjak said.

Ms Duvnjak said the complainant had told the court in evidence that he had on that fateful night been to a 21st birthday party and had then gone to a friend’s house on Corlacus Dr.

He denied in cross-examination that he had been drunk, with Ms Duvnjak saying she did not accept he had been affected by alcohol to the extent that he could not be a reliable witness.

Harry Whitton, 22, was found guilty of common assault but not guilty to a charge of destroy property.

The court heard Harry told an officer after the incident that Jack had smashed the man’s phone on the ground.

Ms Duvnjak found Jack guilty on both counts, while Harry was found not guilty on the charge of destroy property, and guilty of common assault.

“I accept the [Whittons] mistakenly believed he entered into their property,” Ms Duvnjak said.

“I accept they armed themselves with knives … I find it difficult to accept they did so for the purpose of protecting themselves.”

She acknowledged they had co-operated with police but said there was “some significance” in their initial omission to tell police about the black-handled knife.

Lawyer for the Whittons Mr Damien Geason said the case was “nothing short of quite bizarre”.

She found the pair had “reached an agreement to confront the person they believed to be an intruder” but that they “never saw them” on the property.

The matter has been adjourned until September for sentencing submissions.