Jail term for three after violent Shawbury robbery

The gang, armed with metal bars, dumbbells and hammers, attacked and robbed four men sitting in a car parked outside Shawbury Village Hall.

The window of the car was smashed during the attack, and the victims, two of whom were youths, were kicked and punched and forced to hand over cash and a mobile phone.

Five men, including two brothers, were sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court for their part in the attack on February 22 last year.

Philip Beardwell, prosecuting, said it was clear the victims had been targeted by the gang.

He said the attack ended when one of victims recognised one of the men and shouted out "what are you doing?".

He said information was passed on to the police which led them to a house where all the men were present and their clothing and mobile phones were seized.

Matthew Evans, 28, of no fixed abode, was given four and a half years in jail for his part in the attack and for a separate incident in January 2011 where he wounded a man by butting him.

Owain O'Shea, 26, of Beechwood Court, Market Drayton, was given two years in jail after admitting violent disorder during the car park attack. Owen Morgan, 25, of Allen Gardens, Market Drayton, was given 22 months in jail after admitting two counts of robbery and attempted robbery.

Niall O'Shea, 24, of Beechwood Court, Market Drayton and Daniel Millington, 20, of Milton Drive, Market Drayton, were both given two-year suspended sentences and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work after admitting violent disorder.

They were also both given a restraining order banning them from contacting the four victims for 12 months,

Sentencing Mr Recorder Martin Hurst, said: "This was a quite appalling incident of violent disorder. It was pre-planned by text message and you took weapons including a claw hammer and a dumbbell bar. It was a quite disgraceful event and clearly you could have caused much more serious injury than you did."