Telford men, aged 32 and 33, guilty of attacking teenage victim of modern slavery with hammer and machete
Two Telford men have been found guilty of attacking a teenager with a hammer and machete, fracturing his eye socket.
Kyle Turner, 33, and Matthew Walls, 32, set upon their victim, who they said sold them drugs, earlier this summer.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was a victim of modern slavery, a court heard.
The attack happened at King Street in Dawley on the morning of July 19.
Turner and Walls, who both live at King Street, went on trial facing one charge each of wounding with intent.
Turner also faced a charge of having an offensive weapon – the hammer – while Walls denied a charge of having a bladed article – the machete.
Having been found guilty on all counts the pair will stay in custody over the festive period and will learn their sentences at a hearing some time in the new year.
During the trial at Shrewsbury Crown Court the jury was shown dashcam and CCTV footage of three men standing over another and appearing to rain blows down on him.
Prosecutor Philip Beardwell told the court last week: "The victim received a laceration to his eyelid, a fracture to the bones around his left eye socket, and a wound to his arm.
"He received numbness and swelling around his cheek."
See also:
Both defendants said while giving their own evidence in the case that they regularly bought class A drugs from the victim.
Turner, a painter, told the jury he got involved in the fight to help co-defendant Walls, a childhood friend, who was scuffling with the victim.
Turner also claimed that he saw the teenager holding a "Rambo"-style knife.
Walls claimed that the victim had snatched £40 from him.
On Monday the reduced jury of 10 found both men guilty on all charges, after a trial lasting a week.
The jury returned their verdict at about 12pm, having begun their deliberations on Friday.
The jury of 12 had been reduced to 10 after one juror became ill and another suffered a bereavement.
After the jury delivered their verdict, prosecutor Philip Beardwell told the court that the 17-year-old was a victim of modern slavery and has since returned to his native Zimbabwe.
Judge Peter Barrie took time to address the jury before they were released, saying: "I don't want to part without thanking you... for the work you have done in this case."
He acknowledged that they had been "grappling with difficult and responsible decisions".
Several people in the public gallery exclaimed loudly and became tearful when the jury announced their verdicts.
