Telford worker spared jail for leading gang attack
A high-flying electrical engineer who led a gang attack on another man outside a takeaway has been spared jail – after a court heard he could lose his job and that the attack was "out of character".
James Hutchings, from Broomfield Road in Admaston, Telford, spearheaded the attack which left Daniel Shaw with a double fracture to his jaw, and left him needing an operation to wire it shut.
The victim was repeatedly punched and kicked by a gang of up to five men and last month the 26-year-old was unanimously found guilty by a jury of inflicting grievous bodily harm on Mr Shaw with a number of others.
Mr Shaw and a female friend had gone to Tender Fried Chicken in Church Street, Wellington, in the early hours of July 21 last year.
After buying food, the woman went back inside to get mayonnaise, where the defendant told her she was "fit" before making inappropriate advances towards her.
When Hutchings was confronted, Mr Shaw was punched in the face and set upon by the group. They pinned him up against a car bonnet and kicked him in the head as he lay on the floor. Hutchings originally claimed it was a case of mistaken identity but the jury dismissed his account during a two-day trial.
Dean Easthope, defending, said his Hutching's actions "definitely" passed the custody threshold but successfully argued any jail term should be suspended as the £26,000-a-year engineer – who recently secured a £300,000 BMW contract for his company – had acted "very out of character".
The court was told Hutchings had one previous conviction, for drink driving in 2006.
"He is a very successful 26-year-old and is a reliable, trustworthy and hardworking individual who has never displayed any signs of violence before," Mr Easthope said.
"He's a trusted member of his company and if he loses his liberty then he will lose his job and he, as well as the company, will suffer. How many 26-year-olds are doing as well as him in the current economic environment?"
Judge Peter Barrie, at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday, described the incident as an episode of "late night drunken violence" in which he played a "lead role". But he added: "I've read references suggesting this was entirely out of character and I accept that to be the case. I've decided to take a wholly exceptional circumstance with you and suspend the sentence."
Hutchings was sentenced to 15 months, suspended for two years. He was also handed a 14 week curfew, told to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £2,500 in compensation and court costs.
