Suspended sentence for Telford table leg attack

Lee Beard, 39, now of Cunnery Road, Church Stretton, was sentenced to five months in prison suspended for one year over the attack on Kevin Brown last year.

Beard had previously admitted one count of assault causing actual bodily harm and was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court.

The attack happened on September 15, 2012 when Beard was living in a shared house in Hadley, Telford, with Mr Brown.

The court heard Mr Brown had been listening to a music channel on the communal television while he was preparing food and Beard had asked him to turn the volume down.

The argument escalated, with Beard claiming Mr Brown had gone upstairs to his bedroom with a knife – resulting in Beard striking his housemate with a table leg, once around the head and three times to the body.

Mr Brown suffered a 4cm cut to his head, a possible fracture to his ribs and bruising to his shoulder from the attack.

The court heard that Beard had several previous convictions involving violence.

Ian Durant, defending Beard, said the incident had been over in seconds and was a case of "excessive self-defence".

He said his client accepted the need to turn his life around.

"At the age of 39, he has to grow up and get his life in a proper direction," he said.

Judge Peter Barrie gave Beard a suspended prison sentence, ordered him to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work and undertake anger management lessons.

"What you did went far beyond what was necessary to defend yourself from a threat," he said.

"You armed yourself with a table leg and you hit Mr Brown with serious blows which caused injuries to his face and nasty injuries to his body.

"You have a record of losing your temper with people. It is the tendency to lose your self-control and let your temper get the better of you that has brought you here today. It will get you in more trouble if you don't get a grip."