Controversy continues to dog Mt Gambier’s Border Watch newspaper. This is the paper which has had to deal with a string of problems this year, where owner Allan Scott – transport tycoon and keen Liberal Party supporter – temporarily stood down editor Frank Morello after anti-Liberal stories were run in the lead-up to the South Australian state election in March. And just last month the paper again came under fire for failing to report a major truck crash on the outskirts of the town because the crash involved one of Mr Scott’s tankers.

Now Mt Gambier police are investigating the alleged assault of a former editor of the city’s newspaper by the paper’s current manager in an incident where former editor Kieran Iles, who left The Border Watch last December, was allegedly assaulted by the paper’s manager Tim Lewis at a hotel in the city early on Sunday morning.

Mr Lewis was the man who gave Mr Iles his early marching orders from the paper. It seems the pair renewed acquaintances on Sunday morning when Mr Iles, who was visiting Mt Gambier for the weekend, was left bloodied after the attack and was treated at the Mt Gambier Hospital, where he received about eight stitches for a deep cut on his lip.

Mr Iles reported the matter to police, who photographed the injuries. On Sunday Mr Iles was vomiting blood and suffering from dizziness. Mr Lewis refused to comment when contacted on Sunday night, stating only that he was “not prepared to comment about anything”.

The Border Watch board’s chairman Bruce Grubb was also tight-lipped, saying he was not aware of the incident. Mt Gambier police said they were continuing their investigations.