Mark Scott Found Guilty Of Assaulting Lesbian Couple In Front Of Children On An Oshawa Ontario Schoolyard

The Durham Region News reports that Thursday a judge convicted an Oshawa man of two counts of assault causing bodily harm in connection to an attack in late 2008 against two women, a lesbian couple, in a crowded schoolyard, Ontario Court Justice Katrina Mulligan rejecting Mark Scott’s claim he was acting in self-defence when he punched and spat at the two, suggesting that Scott’s explanation “verges on the ridiculous,” adding that “I cannot find in these circumstances he was acting in self-defence.” The verdict was of relief to the victims Angela Dimitriou and Jane Currie, who sustained cuts, bruises and other injuries in the assault outside Gordon B. Attersley Public School, where they, Mr. Scott and numerous other parents had gathered to greet their children at the end of the school day on Nov. 3, 2008. "What he did to us was wrong," said a tearful Ms. Curry, 39. "What happened to us is now officially a crime." Supporters of Ms. Dimitriou and Ms. Currie filled the courtroom for the long-awaited verdict, which arrived after a lengthy and contentious trial that actually began in the fall of 2009 and continued sporadically for the next year and a half. At issue were conflicting versions of events that day. The victims described being confronted and assaulted by an angry Mr. Scott. They said the man, who towers over both women, started the fight, spitting on Ms. Dimitriou and then punching her in the head. Ms. Currie was punched in the face when she came to her partner's defence, court heard. Testifying in his own defence, Mr. Scott, 45, said a belligerent and profane Ms. Dimitriou confronted him, and that he spat out a mouthful of peanuts, then had to use his fists when Ms. Dimitriou and then Ms. Currie attacked. Both women shouted racial slurs during the attack, he testified. In her judgment, Justice Mulligan rejected much of Mr. Scott's testimony, including his claim about the peanuts. "Mr. Scott's peanut explanation verges on the ridiculous," the judge said. "... I find he spat on Ms. Dimitriou and it was intentional. "Spitting on her and then coming off the curb to punch her was excessive in the circumstances and completely unwarranted," Justice Mulligan said. Not at issue at trial was the history of animosity between Mr. Scott and the women. Court heard they had previous profanity-laced clashes over parking in front of the school. The physical altercation was precipitated by Mr. Scott's belief the women had confronted his young son about behaviour that affected one of their children. Despite his testimony he was content to let school officials deal with the issue, he resolved to confront the women over it, Justice Mulligan found. Ms. Dimitriou, 33, said Mr. Scott called her and her partner "men" and "fucking dykes" during the confrontation. Outside court, both women denied directing racial epithets at Mr. Scott. Justice Mulligan chided all participants in the clash for their behaviour in a school yard filled with children. "I can't help but feel sorry for the young children exposed to all their behaviour," she said. Mr. Scott is to appear in March for sentencing.