Gronant and Prestatyn men jailed for attack on disabled victim

Aug 5 2011

Flintshire Chronicle

TWO men have been put behind bars for three years after a court heard how they attacked a vulnerable man in his own home.

Victim Stephen Delaney was a disabled man who was terrified during the attack at his home in Gronant and genuinely thought he was going to be killed, Mold Crown Court was told today (Friday).

His attackers were James Toby Wilkinson, 27, of Dawson Drive in Prestatyn, and Thomas McManus, 19, of Bryn Mor, Gronant.

Both admitted unlawful wounding following the incident on March 30.

Wilkinson was jailed for three years and McManus, who also admitted possessing a knife, received three years in youth custody.

Judge Philip Hughes said both defendants were drunk when they approached Mr Delaney’s home late at night.

They were allowed in – but then attacked the victim.

Wilkinson was said to be encouraging McManus, saying ‘let’s do it’. And as McManus held a knife to his victim’s throat, Wilkinson said: “Go on, do him.”

The judge said Wilkinson then picked up a vase and struck the victim twice over the head with it. When it broke he picked up a jug and used it to continue the assault.

The victim needed 11 stitches and had been badly affected by the trauma he had been put through in his own home, said Judge Hughes.

“The two of you were in this very much together – a joint attack on a vulnerable victim in his own home,” he added.

Emmalyne Downing, prosecuting, said: “The victim felt powerless and he thought he was going to be killed.”

In a victim impact statement, Mr Delaney said he suffered flashbacks and was reluctant to go out since the attack.

Flintshire Chronicle

3 thoughts on “Gronant and Prestatyn men jailed for attack on disabled victim

  1. Adam Lotun Wda on Facebook says:

    This is all due to the climate of Disability Hate Crime that has been promoted by the Government and fed to the Media to portray negative disability community stories to show us all as scroungers and fraudsters…

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