Suspended sentences for thieves who jumped girl in Shrewsbury's Quarry Park

Dominic Ellis, 21, Matthew Byatt, 30, and Stacey Parry, 27, arranged to meet a 17-year-old girl via Facebook who they claim owed them money for a vape, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard.

The victim, who thought she was meeting a friend, was walking towards the Boathouse from the Quarry Park on October 10, 2017, when she was attacked.

Ellis, Byatt and Parry ran up to her and pushed her to the floor before threatening her and stealing her phone

Prosecuting barrister, Samantha Powis, said: "The complainant had arranged to meet up with a friend in Quarry Park.

"She was walking towards the Boathouse when all three defendants ran up to her.

"She tried to run away and was pushed to the ground."

The victim then escaped and managed to flag down a passing car for help before ringing the police.

Ellis, Byatt and Parry were later arrested in a nearby flat, the court heard.

A victim impact statement read out in court heard the complainant suffers back pain from the attack and now "checks over her shoulder whenever she leaves the house".

Defending Byatt, barrister Kevin Jones said: "The case is delayed from a long time ago now. The delay seems to be in the investigation stage rather than anything relating to this defendant.

"Mr Byatt is a man of 30 with a very troubled history."

Representing Parry, defence barrister Debra White said: "Miss Parry accept there had been an arrangement to meet the victim.

"When she was aware that arrangement had been made she went along with it. She recognises that was something she should not have got involved with."

Stephen Scully, representing Ellis, said: "Since this incident, he [Ellis] has distanced himself from the area. He has been with his partner for between 18 to 24 months now and has a three-month-old daughter, born around Christmas time."

Sentencing, Recorder G Pryce said: "I take the view this is a serious matter that passes the custody threshold.

"During that incident you were all involved with intimidating her – she must have been terrified.

"She was thrown to the ground, her phone was taken from her and she managed to escape."

All three defendants were sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years.

Parry, of Willowfield in Woodside, Telford, and Ellis, of Linden Avenue, Connah's Quay, were also given 200 hours of unpaid work and 20 days of rehabilitation.

Byatt, of Attlee Road in Cheadle, Stoke-on-Trent, was given a curfew of 56 days between 7pm and 7am as well as 20 days rehabilitation.

All three defendants were ordered to pay £100 victim compensation each.