Two men guilty after bashing in West Busselton home, co-accused walks free

A Busselton man has been found guilty of punching another man in the face but cleared of all other charges against him after a five-day trial that ended this week. Oliver George Ash was on trial from last Wednesday accused of tricking Andrew Robert Dunnet to come to his friend John William Lynch’s home under the guise of a shooting trip, then attacking him and trying to rob him. Ash had been charged with a string of charges including deprivation of liberty, robbery in company with actual violence and grievous body harm, but was only found guilty of the latter by a jury. His co-accused, Mr Lynch, faced trial at the same time but was found not guilty of all charges. The court was told Ash had accused Mr Dunnet of “talking s...” and punched him in the back of the head at Mr Lynch’s house. The pair had been accused of demanding Mr Dunnet hand over his bank card and internet banking details and sign transfer papers for his car, hitting him with a baseball bat when he did not comply. When police answered a disturbance call, Mr Dunnet escaped and was taken to hospital where he was found to have a fractured eye socket and bruising to his body. In evidence, Ash told the court Mr Dunnet had come to Mr Lynch’s house so Ash could sell methamphetamine to him, and said the subject of the shooting trip was “never mentioned once”. Ash said when he arrived at Mr Lynch’s property, he observed Mr Dunnet in the living room with a selection of tools he allegedly intended as “collateral” for drugs. Ash said Mr Dunnet voluntarily brought in vehicle transfer papers pre-signed in case the tools were not enough for the drugs. He said when Mr Dunnet was denied methamphetamine unless he had cash, Mr Dunnet become “angry” and physically aggressive. Ash is due to be sentenced on August 31 in Perth. David Gregory Barr, who previously pleaded guilty to deprivation of liberty, assault occasioning bodily harm and robbery in company with actual violence, was handed an 18-month intense supervision order yesterday.