Man locked up for tree branch assault

A 20-year-old Shropshire man has been sentenced to 12 months in a young offenders' institute for assaulting two people with a tree branch outside an Ironbridge pub.

Joshua Bennett was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday.

He had admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Martin Henefer, common assault against Gilbert Ward and possessing an offensive weapon, a tree branch, at an earlier hearing at Telford Magistrates Court on July 19.

Mr Mark Linkins, prosecuting, said Bennett, of Innage Lane, Bridgnorth, had been kicked out of the Swan pub for exposing himself to patrons.

Mr Linkins said: "As he was being removed by the doorman, Mr Henefer, Mr Bennett said 'I'll be back, you've made a big mistake'.

"He then returned with a tree branch and was seen running across the road to the pub swinging it. He then struck Mr Henefer to the side of the head with the branch.

"He continued to swing the branch around and hit Mr Ward, a customer, on his head and hand."

He said both men were left with small wounds.

Mr Robert Akers, for Bennett, said he had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

He said: "He is utterly at a loss to explain why he acted in the way he did that night.

"He had consumed a significant amount of alcohol but accepts that is no excuse."

Judge Simon Tonking said: "This was a serious incident, a drunken revenge attack."