A Norseman man has been found not guilty of aggravated grievous bodily harm over an incident that left a 74-year-old man with a fractured ankle.

A District Court jury in Kalgoorlie acquitted Bradley John Sargeant, 34, of the charge during a trial this week

There were no eye-witnesses to the physical altercation at a hotel in Norseman on March 8, although a member of the kitchen staff who gave evidence recalled hearing a cry of pain from the courtyard.

Both men were employed at the hotel at the time of the incident – Sargeant worked as the pizza chef, while the alleged victim was the hotel handyman.

In a recorded interview with police, played to the jury, Sargeant said the handyman deliberately antagonised him on the evening, and had done so in the past.

Another kitchen staff member said she considered the alleged victim a “nuisance”. The actual physical struggle occurred in the courtyard, just outside the kitchen.