A man and woman who locked their so-called friend in his flat and viciously assaulted him with weapons and reinforced gloves for several hours are facing prison.
Jodie Goble, 32, was convicted of the grievous bodily harm of Carl Willingham yesterday after standing trial last week.
Her co-defendant Jamie Kendrick, 30, had already pleaded guilty to false imprisonment, grievous bodily harm with intent and using violence to gain entry to Mr Willingham’s neighbour’s flat.
The pair will now be sentenced on December 13 – just short of two years on from the attack at Mr Willingham’s flat in Gloucester Road, Brighton, which took place on December 22, 2019.
Just months before this attack, Kendrick was sentenced for another drunken assault on the manager of KFC in London Road, Brighton, in January 2019, after he was told he couldn’t drink in the fast food restaurant.
Despite a string of violent convictions, he was fined and given a community order.
Goble’s trial was told that Kendrick, formerly of Orchard View, Brighton, had hit Mr Willingham with glass bottles, a truncheon, a broom and a belt, and punched him using a reinforced glove.
At one point he asked Mr Willingham if he would like to be punched by him or by Goble, who was present for the whole of the attack and made no attempt to stop the violence.
Mr Willingham chose Goble, who was then told to use the same reinforced glove to punch him – although Mr Willingham said she did this softly.
Mr Willingham was left with bleeding on the brain, broken ribs, a broken nose and a collapsed lung.
The jury was shown pictures from the inside of the flat taken after police arrived, in which bloodstains on the walls of more than one room could be seen.
Goble, of Haig Avenue, Brighton, told police she had only been there about half an hour – but the jury believed Mr Willingham’s account of the assault.
They acquitted Goble of false imprisonment and using violence to gain entry – but convicted her of the lesser charge of grievous bodily harm without intent.
Kendrick has been in prison on remand since his first appearance at Brighton Magistrates Court on Boxing Day, 2019.
Goble has been released on bail to await sentencing, with the condition she sleep at Haig Avenue and not enter central Brighton in the meantime.
Ohhhh jodie! Looks like a long extended stay in HMP Bronzfield is on the cards for you an Kendrick.
“Despite a string of violent convictions, he was fined and given a community order.”
Which, of course, gave him the opportunity to commit another very violent crime. What does that tell us about the level of convictions given out by our judges?