A father and son beat up a man so severely in a street altercation that they left him with a fractured spine, a court heard. Alan Hodgetts and his son Brent Littlehayles attacked a man who intervened in a dispute after they were involved in a road crash. Nicola Quinney, prosecuting, at Sheffield Crown Court, said Hodgetts, aged 44, and his son, 22, were driving along when they involved in a collision with another car. Hodgetts, of Chequer Road, Doncaster, decided to follow the car so he could confront the driver. A chase followed and, when they reached Apley Road, the driver got out of his vehicle and fled. A third man, Ako Ahmed, arrived with a wooden pole and struck Hodgetts with it. Miss Quinney said both men then set upon Mr Ahmed and a fight ensued, with all three ending up on the ground. Mr Ahmed was left with two spinal fractures. Hodgetts had 16 convictions for 27 previous offences, including possessing a firearm and producing cannabis. Littlehayles, a gas fitter, had several convictions too, for public order offences, handing stolen goods and battery. Both men admitted affray. The judge jailed Hodgetts for 14 months and give him an extra month for growing cannabis. She gave Littlehayles an eight month sentence suspended for 12 months and ordered him to carry out 60 hours of unpaid work for the community.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 20:43:28 +0000