jrobertson
16-01-08, 10:28 AM
www.thestar.co.uk (http://www.thestar.co.uk) - Doncaster Star - 15 January 2008
Man jailed for pinning down his neighbour (http://www.thestar.co.uk/doncaster/Man-jailed-for-pinning-down.3671570.jp)
By Russ Newton
A HUSBAND who pinned down a neighbour in a Doncaster street so his drunken wife could beat her up has been jailed.
Tony Alan Nicholson, aged 35, also kicked the woman as she lay on the ground in Skellow and had shown no hint of remorse, said the judge at Doncaster Crown Court.
His 22-year-old wife, Sarah Nicholson, had drunk 10 cans of lager before the attack but she escaped an immediate custodial sentence because she had been remorseful and pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm straight away.
Her husband was convicted of the same offence by a jury at an earlier trial but still denies any involvement in the attack on the woman who lived near them in Elm Road, Skellow.
The incident happened last April after the couple had been drinking in a local club and came across their neighbour on the way home. Sarah Nicholson punched her in the face, knocking her to the ground, and Tony Nicholson held her down while his wife rained more blows on her, banged her head and pulled her hair, said Susan Evans, prosecuting.
When a nearby resident shouted at them they walked away but the husband came back and kicked the woman while she still lay helpless.
Sentencing the wife to a 10 month prison term suspended for 18 months, with 150 hours of unpaid work, Judge Graham Robinson told her: "You have shown you are truly remorseful and you entered your guilty plea at the first opportunity so I am able to follow the probation officer's recommendation."
Jailing her husband for 15 months, the judge said: "You continue to deny your involvement. Both in court and in the witness box I detected no hint of remorse. This was a nasty, unpleasant attack."
Richard Butters, defending the wife, said the incident was driven by alcohol because she had drunk 10 cans of lager that day. He said she had since reduced her drinking.
"There was a long-standing dispute between this complainant and these defendants and it was a chance meeting. It wasn't a pre-planned act of violence on her part and she wishes she had never committed the offence."
Rupert Doswell, counsel for the husband, said he had suffered reprisals the next day from people associated with the complainant.
Man jailed for pinning down his neighbour (http://www.thestar.co.uk/doncaster/Man-jailed-for-pinning-down.3671570.jp)
By Russ Newton
A HUSBAND who pinned down a neighbour in a Doncaster street so his drunken wife could beat her up has been jailed.
Tony Alan Nicholson, aged 35, also kicked the woman as she lay on the ground in Skellow and had shown no hint of remorse, said the judge at Doncaster Crown Court.
His 22-year-old wife, Sarah Nicholson, had drunk 10 cans of lager before the attack but she escaped an immediate custodial sentence because she had been remorseful and pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm straight away.
Her husband was convicted of the same offence by a jury at an earlier trial but still denies any involvement in the attack on the woman who lived near them in Elm Road, Skellow.
The incident happened last April after the couple had been drinking in a local club and came across their neighbour on the way home. Sarah Nicholson punched her in the face, knocking her to the ground, and Tony Nicholson held her down while his wife rained more blows on her, banged her head and pulled her hair, said Susan Evans, prosecuting.
When a nearby resident shouted at them they walked away but the husband came back and kicked the woman while she still lay helpless.
Sentencing the wife to a 10 month prison term suspended for 18 months, with 150 hours of unpaid work, Judge Graham Robinson told her: "You have shown you are truly remorseful and you entered your guilty plea at the first opportunity so I am able to follow the probation officer's recommendation."
Jailing her husband for 15 months, the judge said: "You continue to deny your involvement. Both in court and in the witness box I detected no hint of remorse. This was a nasty, unpleasant attack."
Richard Butters, defending the wife, said the incident was driven by alcohol because she had drunk 10 cans of lager that day. He said she had since reduced her drinking.
"There was a long-standing dispute between this complainant and these defendants and it was a chance meeting. It wasn't a pre-planned act of violence on her part and she wishes she had never committed the offence."
Rupert Doswell, counsel for the husband, said he had suffered reprisals the next day from people associated with the complainant.