Man jailed after masked attack on man outside home

Samuel Smith was jailed for two years and eight months at Lincoln Crown Court

A man who took part in an armed attack on a man in a Lincolnshire town has been jailed for two years and eight months.

Samuel Smith, 33, was among a group of three men who targeted the victim near his home in Ros Knight Gardens, Crowland, on 24 May last year.

Lincoln Crown Court heard the victim was getting his baby out of his vehicle when three masked men got out of a car, some of whom were carrying knives, and chased him down the street.

Smith, of Archer Crescent, Wymondham, Norfolk, pleaded guilty to two charges of affray and assault causing actual bodily harm.

Sam Lowne, prosecuting, said the victim had received a message telling him Smith was in the area with some other men.

When the victim saw a group of masked men get out of a car, he tried to run away but was attacked by one of the group after failing to get in a neighbouring property, the court was told.

During the attack, the victim was kicked and said he was struck to the head three times and felt like he was "being hit with something heavy and metal."

He attended Peterborough Hospital but discharged himself because of the long wait.

Smith was arrested two weeks after the attack. The court heard he had 15 previous convictions for 25 offences including a seven-year prison sentence for grievous bodily harm.

'Sleepless nights'

In mitigation the court was told Smith had previously been assaulted by the victim and had travelled to Lincolnshire from Norfolk to visit family.

Smith was suffering from depression at the time of the offences after his brother had been diagnosed with cancer, and had ceased taking his own medication, the court was told.

Mr Lowne said the prosecution could not identify which of the men was the attacker but accepted the victim was not stabbed and Smith did not have a knife.

Passing sentence, Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight told Smith that while he may not have been carrying a knife, it was his disagreement with the victim which the group were jointly acting on.

"You were masked, some of the group had large knives," Judge Sjolin Knight said.

In an impact statement, the victim said his family had suffered from panic attacks and sleepless nights and said they had to move home.

A restraining order was made which prevents Smith from contacting the victim and his family.

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