A man who took it into his own hands to exact punishment on people he believed had threatened his grandmother kicked and stamped on a man he attacked.
James Crammen and an accomplice kicked their way into a house before the defendant launched into a violent attack against the man without realising, he wasn’t his intended target.
The 26-year-old rained down blows on the unsuspecting man, knocking him to the ground before delivering a number of kicks and stamps to the victim’s head.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the thug inadvertently hit the man’s partner when she ‘bravely’ stepped in to try and stop the violent assault.
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Nigel Soppitt, prosecuting, the pair turned up at the house at around 10pm and Crammen stood back while his accomplice kicked the panels out of the door.
He said the defendant then launched into his attack on the innocent man and accidently hitting his partner.
The court heard how Crammen then assaulted a police constable with a flailing arm when they tried to arrest him late the same day.
Crammen, of Emmerson Court, Hartlepool, was found guilty of common assault, but pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker, using violence to enter a property, failing to surrender to custody and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Stephen Constantine, mitigating, said his client had managed to get himself off drugs while he was in custody but had been recalled on licence after the violence on July 18 this year.
He added: “He was given information that someone had made some very pleasant threats against his nanna. He went to the house to sort matters out.”
Recorder Felicity Davies sentenced the defendant to a total of 80 weeks for all offences after he kicked and stamped on wrong man during attack.
“Following your release, you heard from your sister that your grandmother had been subject of some very unpleasant threats from someone and you took it upon yourself to go round and have it out with this person,” she said.
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“You punched him and knocked him to the ground, you then, very dangerously, stamped on his head and kicked him.
“It’s your good fortune that you caused no more serious injuries than you did.
“His partner, rather bravely, tried to intervene and then you hit her in the face, which was a reckless rather than deliberate blow to her face.
“You then left the house saying you would be back intending to put their door in again.”
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