A 19-year-old charged with an assault that carried on along Church Street, had a warrant issued for his arrest when he failed to appear in Mudgee Local Court.
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The victim of the incident was drinking at a local pub throughout the evening of Saturday, September 28, 2019, when he was told by others that Ryan Biffen of Cox Street, Mudgee, had an issue with him and when he spoke with him he noticed that he wasn't happy.
At about 2.30am the victim was walking south along Church Street, when he encountered Biffen again, near the intersection with Denison Street, as he was walking in the opposite direction.
After words were exchanged, Biffen hit the victim about 20 times in his face - causing him to feel pain in his jaw - and as he walked away he was followed.
Biffen then knocked the victim to the ground and began kicking him. While down he was covering his head with his arms, and when he lowered them he was punched to the right-side of his face.
The victim got back up and flagged down police who were now in the vicinity. Biffen fled and a search of the area didn't locate him.
The next day the victim provided a statement to police and when officers caught up with Biffen he told them he remembered talking to the victim but not the assault - due to his level of intoxication.
Upon reading the police facts submitted to the court, Magistrate David Day commented that it was surprising - given the number of punches and the kicking - that it was a charge of 'Common assault' Biffen was facing and not of 'occasioning actual bodily harm'.
