A SCARED south Warwickshire man has moved home because he no longer felt safe following a thuggish attack which left him with a broken rib and fractures to his vertebrae.
He had been pelted with an egg from a car which drove past as he walked home from the pub along Faiths Road in Alcester around 11pm, and after he swung out at it when it returned, the occupants piled out and laid into him.
His attackers, Ryan Dean, Ire Steer, Matthew Harman and Kyle Conway, pleaded guilty to violent disorder when they appeared at Warwick Crown Court.
Dean, 21, of Eldorado Close, Studley, and Harman, 21,of Hadrians Walk, Alcester, were both sentenced to 12 months in prison suspended for 12 months and ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work.
Steer, 19, of Newland Close, Redditch, who was only 17 at the time of the attack, was sentenced to nine months suspended for 12 months and ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work.
Conway, 21, of St Nicholas Close, Alcester, who had previous convictions for violence, including wounding and battery, was sentenced to 18 months suspended for 12 months and ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid work.
In addition, all four defendants were ordered to pay £150 compensation to their victim, with Dean, Harman and Conway also being ordered to pay £150 costs each.
Prosecutor Rebecca Austin said the attack happened in July 2016. One of the occupants of Dean’s Ford Fiesta threw an egg at him, hitting him to the shoulder and breaking.
The car drove off, but then did a u-turn, and as it drove back towards him, he believed he was about to be targeted again swung out ‘in a flailing motion with his jacket,’ but because of heavy items in the pocket, it broke one of the car windows.
The car stopped and the gang piled out and chased him into Meadow Road where they knocked him to the ground, and he was kicked and struck repeatedly with his own snooker cue.
The attack only stopped because of the bravery of a woman, who came out of her house and shouted at the gang.
She added the victim had a broken rib and fractured vertebrae, and as a result of the attack felt so uncomfortable in the area around his home he had moved away.
Ian Speed, for Dean, said there was a comprehensive pre-sentence report on him and, although not at the first police interview, he did admit his involvement.
Amrisha Parathalingham, for Steer, pointed out that he was only 17 at the time – and at his own request, Steer apologised from the dock to the victim.
Sophie Murray, for Conway, said custody “would take away all the good work he has achieved”, while Harman’s barrister argued there was an element of self-defence.
Judge Anthony Potter told the four: “What is plain to me is that he (the victim) was doing nothing out of the ordinary, simply doing what was his right to do, which was returning from the pub and going back to his home.
“He certainly wasn’t provoking you, but one of you threw an egg at him. It was a provocative, thuggish gesture.”
“It was only when a female came out into the street to confront you that some sense seems to have taken effect. She deserves considerable praise for having the courage to do so. No-one knows what would have happened if she had not.”
