Telford amateur fighter fined throwing block through a window

The victim saw Ian Alexander Voyce when he looked out of an upstairs window of his home in Hill Fold, Dawley, at around 1am.

Magistrates were told that the victim was walking down the stairs when he heard something smash – the sound was coming from the direction of the kitchen.

Prosecuting, Mr John Peel, said the victim, who was the father of Voyce's partner's former boyfriend, chased Voyce down the street but then returned home to discover a brick and a lump of concrete, which had been smashed through the double glazing of the kitchen window in the early hours of the morning.

Voyce, from Withywood Drive, Telford, was handed a two-year conditional discharge for causing criminal damage when the case was heard at Telford Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old was found guilty following an earlier trial at the magistrates court on March 13.

The court heard that the incident happened on August 19 last year and when interviewed by police, Voyce told officers that he had spent the night at a woman's house but did not know where exactly this was and had no way of contacting her.

Prosecutor Mr Peel told the court that Voyce did have previous convictions for serious offences.

For Voyce, Mr Steven Meredith said that the defendant had a history of pleading guilty to offences but continued to deny this attack and would be appealing.

He added that Voyce had spent time while on a previous community order taking part in the Zero to Hero Mixed Martial Arts fighting program, raising £2,000 to £3,000 for charity in the process.

"He did that because he felt it was the most appropriate way of exercising his aggression," said Mr Meredith, who added that the defendant had also suffered two bereavements during this period.

Voyce was ordered to pay £620 costs and £230 compensation

He was also given an indefinite restraining order not to contact the victim or go near the address and was ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge.