Telford men accused of GBH acquitted
Two men accused of grievous bodily harm have been acquitted after no witnesses turned up to their trial.
At Shrewsbury Crown Court, Matthew Reece, 32, and Stephen Beach, 26, both from the Telford area, denied charges of wounding Kenneth Hobb with intent at Oxford Court, Oakengates, on December 4 last year.
Beach also denied an additional charge of assault by beating.
Verdicts of not guilty were recorded for all charges and Reece, of Pool Meadow, Hadley, and Beach, of Dukes Hill, Ketley Bank, were discharged.
Bernard Linnemann, prosecuting, said Mr Hobb and partner Tracey Egerton were due to travel from South Shields to appear as key witnesses in the trial, due to start yesterday.
But after an hour-and-a-half adjournment, he told Recorder Martin Butterworth: "There are three witnesses, none of which are here."
Mr Linnemann said: "Bearing in mind the length of time these defendants have been in custody, and the reliability of these people, and with the lack of co-operation of the people involved, we propose to offer no evidence."
