A bricklayer from Warwick was off work for eight weeks after he fell and broke his wrist when he was subjected to an unprovoked attack on his way home from a party with his wife.
At Warwick Crown Court his two attackers, Tobie Arundell and Samuel Biggs were both jailed for 12 months after a judge rejected an argument that the sentences could be suspended.
Arundell (23) of Raynsford Walk, Warwick, and Biggs (40) of Hockley Lane, Eastern Green, Coventry, had pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm on 55-year-old David Beverley.
Prosecutor Scott Coughtrie said that in June last year Mr Beverley and his wife had been to a club in Warwick for a friend’s 60th birthday celebration.
As they were walking home along Millers Road at about 11.30 that night, they came across another woman they knew – and Mr Beverley carried on walking while his wife stopped to talk to her.
At the junction with Wedgnock Green, he saw a group of men and could smell burning, so went over to speak to them and was told everything was okay.
He then became aware of someone running towards him, joined by a second man, and as they approached him, he pushed them away.
Mr Beverley was then knocked to the floor, fracturing his wrist as he put his arm out to break his fall, and he was then hit on his head and body as he lay on the ground.
After the attack he was able to get his feet and, covered in blood, made his way to the Warwick Hospital half a mile away, where he had to undergo surgery on his wrist, as a result of which he was off work for eight weeks.
Although he could not describe his attackers, someone who had seen the incident called the police and was able to name both Arundell and Biggs.
The witness said someone had shouted at Mr Beverley to ‘f*** off,’ and Biggs had then run over and hit him before being joined by Arundell – and they both began to punch him as he kicked out to try to defend himself.
When the two men were arrested, Arundell said he had been at a party earlier on, and claimed it was Mr Beverley who had approached him aggressively, and that he had defended himself.
Biggs, who was living in the area at the time, said he had had a friend round, and they had been drinking and smoked some cannabis, after which he claimed he had gone to bed and the next thing he recalled was being woken by the police.
Mr Coughtrie added that at the time Arundell was subject to a community order for common assault and also had a previous conviction for battery, while Biggs had convictions for fraud and causing damage.
Asking the judge to consider suspending any sentence, he added that Arundell had the offer of a job which was in limbo pending the outcome of the case.
Ramya Nagesh, for Biggs, said character references showed a completely different side to him, and his ‘appalling behaviour’ on that night was out of character.
She said that at the time he had resorted to alcohol to cope with an acrimonious break-up with his partner, but he has now moved in with his parents and cut down his drinking.
Jailing the two men, Recorder Anupama Thompson told them: “There is no doubt in my mind this offence crosses the custody threshold.
“I have been urged to suspend the sentences, and I have thought very hard about whether I can properly do so.