7:30am Monday 1st December 2008
A teenager needed stitches after his head was split open with a wrench over an argument about a mobile phone.
Nathan Sinfield, 18, of Wheat Close, Sandridge and Omar Khan, also 18, of Abbots Park, St Albans were sentenced to 51 weeks and nine months prison, respectively, suspended for two years, for the attack on Alex Wallace.
Mr Wallace had been visiting friend Sammie Ellard-King at his ground floor flat in Twyford Road, St Albans, when the duo struck on Wednesday, June 4.
Khan, who had an issue with Mr Ellard-King over a mobile phone, climbed through the open window saying: “It’s payback time”. Sinfield, armed with a wrench, followed and both men proceeded to attack teenager, Mr Wallace, who was punched and kicked and repeatedly hit over the head with the wrench.
Mr Wallace required three stitches to his head and broke a bone in his hand, during the attack.
Sinfield and Khan were charged with GBH, but Khan’s charge was reduced to ABH when Mr Ellard-King made a second statement retracting that Khan was armed too.
Mr Recorder Rubin QC observed: “Isn’t Mr Ellard-King rather fearful of Mr Khan and didn’t he move out of the area?” Khan’s defence said that was true, but reminded the judge he could not use that in sentencing.
St Albans Crown Court heard on Friday that there was bad blood between the four men and that Sinfield had come off worse after a fight between him and Mr Wallace just days before the incident.
Sinfield pleaded guilty to GBH and admitted being in breach of a conditional discharge imposed for possession of a Stanley knife.
Khan, who also has previous convictions as a juvenile for affray and a reprimand for battery, admitted ABH.
They were both ordered to pay Mr Wallace £400 compensation and were given curfews and ordered to carry out unpaid work.
They must not contact Mr Wallace for two years.
Sinfield, who had been in held in custody on remand for 105 days, was due for immediate release. Both will be supervised by probation.
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