A man has been jailed for six and a half years after a terrifying attack on his girlfriend and a 78-year-old man at a flat in Peacehaven.
Gary Barney punched, kicked and stamped on David King and paused to attack Donna Watts, breaking her collarbone by stamping on it, before returning to his sustained attack on Mr King.
Barney, 49, formerly of Bolney Avenue, Peacehaven, was sentenced by Recorder James Lofthouse at Brighton Crown Court after being convicted by a jury at the same court.
The jury found him guilty of assault causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) to Miss Watts and trying to cause GBH with intent to Mr King at the flat in Sutton Road, Peacehaven.
The judge, Recorder James Lofthouse, said: “It was a prolonged and persistent assault. He broke off to assault Miss King before stamping on Mr King’s head.”
Mercifully, the judge said, no serious harm was caused to Mr King but he added: “This was a savage and sustained attack carried out on a defenceless older gentleman.”
Mr King was covered in his own blood from a cut to his head and had a cut and bruised lip.
The jury was told that Barney had forced his way into Miss King’s flat in July last year – something he denied.
John Carmichael, prosecuting, said that Mr King was there and when Barney attacked Mr King, “the attempt was to cause grave injury.”
Mr Carmichael added: “It was aggravated by his previous convictions which include some serious matters.
“He even breached a non-molestation order by being in the flat and there is a history of violence towards Miss Watts.”
The court was told that Barney had 22 previous convictions for 37 offences and had been jailed for five and a half years for kidnap and attempted robbery in 2014.
He was also jailed for a robbery in 2011 and in at least two of his previous offences he had a hammer as a weapon.
Barney admitted two other offences – assaulting Miss King by slapping her face and assaulting a police officer by kicking him in the shin.
Recorder Lofthouse jailed Barney for six and a half years for the attack on Mr King and five years concurrently for the assault on Miss Watts.
He jailed Barney for eight weeks for slapping Miss Watts and for two months for assaulting a police officer.
The judge ordered Barney to serve the two-month sentence consecutively, making six years and eight months in total.
Detective Constable Marcos Miranda de la Fuente said: “Gary Barney is a violent offender who indiscriminately assaulted an elderly man and a woman in what was a prolonged attack.
“Violence of any kind will not be tolerated in Sussex which includes assaults on our officers as they go about their duties to protect the public.
“This custodial sentence has put a dangerous criminal behind bars which I hope provides some measure of closure for his victims.”
Pondlife
Should have been consecutive jail term…