Man who stopped a burglar faces assault charge (From Thisisdorset)

Man who stopped a burglar faces assault charge

9:42am Saturday 5th July 2008 in

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A TATTOOIST who tangled with a man breaking into a Weymouth shopping centre and held him as he waited for police has been accused of assault.

Steve Kink, who owns the Ink Fever tattoo parlour in the Colwell Centre, said he was trying to protect a fellow shopkeeper's store and was now being made to pay for his actions.

Mr Kink, 47, was in his girlfriend's bar Jakes above the shopping centre after midnight when he heard a security alarm coming from downstairs.

He said he went to investigate and saw a man trying to force entry to the Phone Zone on the ground floor.

Mr Kink said: "As I came down I saw a bloke going up the stairs and I went to meet him.

"I asked him to leave the building and got a smack in the face.

"I got him outside and he became more agitated, he made another move and I put him down on to the floor and held him till the police arrived."

Mr Kink said police came to arrest the man and claimed that the officers appeared grateful for his efforts in detaining the offender.

A few days later he was told by the centre's caretaker that the man had been given a caution and was made to pay for a window he had smashed to force entry.

Mr Kink was surprised the man had been dealt with in that way, but was more shocked to learn he faced a charge of assault for his actions.

He said that he had declined to press charges for assault himself over the punch he allegedly received, which he said left him with a cut under his eye.

Mr Kink said: "I was stunned, how could they do that when the police on the night were happy with what I did?"

He added: "It makes you think and it puts me off trying to get involved in something like that again."

Dorset Police confirmed that Mr Kink had been charged with assault over the incident.