'Sadistic' man jailed for hockey stick attack on boy in stress position
A man who attacked a boy repeatedly with a hockey stick has been jailed for almost three years.
The male defendant, from Wolverhampton, hit the youngster after finding a note which contained several swear words on it on May 16 this year, a judge was told.
The 33-year-old initially made the 15-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, stand on the porch without shoes on as the defendant went on a walk, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.
On his return, the man made the teenager stand in the kitchen with his arms raised up in a “stress position” for 30 minutes, Miss Blondelle Thompson said, prosecuting.
His co-defendant, a 40-year-old woman, was sent to get a hockey stick from the garage – which the male would use to strike the youngster if the boy dropped his arms, Miss Thompson added.
The 33-year-old struck the youngsters legs with the weapon repeatedly, and later pulled him back by the scruff of his neck with the curved end of the weapon when he tried to escape, a judge heard.
The boy let out a scream in pain and described each blow as feeling like his legs "were being broken", Miss Thompson said.
The victim felt he had been picked on, having been slapped and threatened with a cricket bat previously, the court heard.
The alarm was raised by concerned friends of his sister after the boy went to school the next day.
Police were called after he told teachers what had happened, with doctors finding countless bruises to his legs and swollen muscles which made him unable to move without being in pain.
The male defendant was said to be "deeply remorseful" of his actions and was of previous good character, said Mr Charles Crinion, defending.
He had, however, fallen into a drug use the year before the attack and now finds it "difficult" to live with the guilt and shame, Mr Crinion added.
The co-defendant, a woman, had fetched the hockey stick out of "fear" and tried to intervene, said Mr Ravi Sidhu, defending.
She has since been undertaking cognitive behavioural therapy, Mr Sidhu added.
Judge Rhona Campbell, who said it was a "sadistic" attack, sentenced the male to 33 months in prison for the actual bodily harm with aggravating factors, and two concurrent sentences – each of 10 months – for child cruelty.
The female was sentenced to seven months for child cruelty, suspended for 18 months, with 100 hours of unpaid work to be carried out and 30 rehabilitation days.
