Darren Geraghty admits Lambourn baseball attack and witness intimidation

A HORSERACING industry employee has been convicted of a savage baseball attack on a village High Street.

Darren Geraghty also attacked a woman, then terrorised her into withdrawing her police statement.

At Reading Crown Court on Monday, December 16, the 34-year-old, of Lynch Lane, Lambourn, admitted assaulting Dylan Smith, thereby causing him actual bodily harm, in Lambourn on Saturday, April 13.

He further admitted assaulting Lara Malcolm by beating her, witness intimidation with intent to pervert the course of justice, causing actual bodily harm to Ms Malcolm and causing criminal damage.

Two more charges of assaulting Ms Malcolm by beating her at Hamilton Stables in Hockham Road, Compton, in May and June, were not proceeded with and will lie on the file.

Judge Alan Blake said Geraghty would be sentenced next January but meanwhile asked Ryan Evans, prosecuting, to outline the facts surrounding some of the charges.

Mr Evans said the most serious offence was the witness intimidation and added: “It was a campaign during which the defendant asked [Ms Malcolm] repeatedly, every single day, to withdraw her statement.

“He was eventually successful and she didn’t re-engage until there was a further assault causing actual bodily harm.

“This therefore had a serious impact on the administration of justice.; Ms Malcolm said she feared for her life as a consequence of his behaviour.

“The starting point [for sentencing] is two years imprisonment, with a range of one to four years.”

Judge Blake then asked: “Can you assist regarding the criminal damage, the ABH (actual bodily harm) and the offensive weapon?”

Mr Evans replied: “On April 13 on Lambourn High Street another complainant, Dylan Smith, met with friends after work.

“He was going to watch the Grand National and get some food; he was walking towards the Co-op when the defendant ran up behind him and struck him round the back of the head with a baseball bat.

“Mr Smith managed to get away…the defendant, still with the bat, came towards him and struck him in the face above the right eye.

“It was a prolonged and persistent attack.”

Olivia English, defending, applied for a pre-sentence report.

She said: “Mr Geraghty has been in custody since the beginning of July.

“He has been assessed by medical professionals for mental health difficulties he has been struggling with.

“He has PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) arising from multiple traumas and a report may show what he has been experiencing.”

However Judge Blake said he did not consider a pre-sentence report would help.

He conceded that a medical report could be helpful when it came to sentencing.

Mr Evans indicated that the Crown would be seeking a restraining order in due course.

Judge Blake meanwhile adjourned the case until January next year and remanded Geraghty back into custody.