Man pleads guilty to attack during party at Westwood, granted spent conviction

A Great Southern farm hand had pleaded guilty to unlawfully assaulting a man at a Westwood party last year. Dirk Jacobus Van Wyk was sentenced at Katanning Magistrates Court on Tuesday more than four months after the attack occurred. Police prosecutor Sergeant Alan Dean told the court Van Wyk was invited to a party in Westwood on September 4 last year for people of South African heritage. In the early hours of September 5, an argument between Van Wyk’s wife and another attendee broke out, with his defence lawyer arguing his wife had been called “white trash” and “told to return to South Africa”. Later in the night, Van Wyk’s wife told him about what had happened. After that, he overheard at least one other man making similar remarks, and an argument broke out. When the victim came forward, Van Wyk struck him with his arm, causing him to fall back on to a table. Van Wyk and his wife then left the party. Sgt Dean said the two men did not know each other and it was unclear whether the victim had been part of the personal attacks or trying to defuse the situation. Magistrate Dianne Scaddan told the court there were other strategies Van Wyk could have used. “It may have been galling, but you could have waited until the next day to resolve the situation,” she said. “No doubt what was said was inappropriate. We are apparently a tolerant community. “What is underscoring this conviction is there was one punch which could have had a disastrous effect.” Ms Scaddan accepted the argument of the defence that Van Wyk was unlikely to reoffend due to his “good character” and his lack of criminal record in both Australia and South Africa. She granted Van Wyk a spent conviction due to the “public interest’ in allowing him to apply for permanent residency. He was fined $1500.