A 22-year-old man escaped a custodial sentence yesterday after presenting a letter of support from co-workers signed by 15 fellow employees that attested he was changing for the better.In addition, Kenneth Leverock presented a supportive statement from a superior at the Government Department at which he works, and Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner could also take into account a specific sentence report that he had ordered at the original hearing.He had appeared in Magistrate’s Court two weeks ago where Mr Warner heard how his anger “about Jamaicans coming into his country” spilled into a violent altercation, and brought him to court to answer charges of assault.After Police arrested him, they found that he was in possession of cannabis, with which he was also charged.Mr Leverock was supported in court by his mother and father as well as his grandmother at his initial hearing, and family members were in court again yesterday.He was on probation for another offence when he had appeared in court for the first time, but that period had ended by the time he was back in court yesterday.In the earlier hearing Crown Council Susan Mulligan told the court Mr Leverock had gone to the East West Cafe in Southampton to buy some food.“Without provocation, the defendant approached the complainant and punched him on the shoulder. He fell over a handrail, and he sustained some bruises.“After he had been detained by Police and was questioned about the incident, he asked them to tell the complainant that he was sorry.”After his arrest, Police found plant material on Mr Leverock which was later determined to be 7.2 grams of cannabis.Duty counsel Susan Moore Williams had asked Mr Warner for a non-custodial sentence.“He has shown remorse and said he wanted to say he was sorry ... Mr Leverock said he was sorry and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.”His grandmother had also asked the judge to allow Mr Leverock to continue to work, where he had the good influence of fellow workers around him.Mr Leverock’s mother had been allowed to speak to the court and she said her son had been jumped four times, robbed and beaten.“He has trust issues because he’s been violated four times,” she said.Yesterday, Mr Leverock’s lawyer Saul Dismont initially argued that Mr Leverock could have a defence of pre-emptive strike as he had felt threatened, but the defendant did not change his plea.Mr Dismont said that his client had shown remorse immediately after the incident.“The first thing he said to the Police was ‘Can I speak to the guy? I want to say I’m sorry’.”He asked the court to take into consideration that his client had taken responsibility for his actions “right from the beginning”.“He has been particularly nervous or sensitive to the idea that someone was trying to rob him,” he said. “Mr Leverock understands his behaviour could have been better.”Mr Warner agreed that probation was appropriate for Mr Leverock.“The recommendation of the social inquiry report is that he needs help,” he said.Mr Dismont said: “He obviously is getting better and he is trying.”Mr Warner agreed: “He is trying, he admitted he did this and he is remorseful,” before imposing one year of probation and an $800 fine on the drugs charges.