A 'VIOLENT' attack carried out by an Ellesmere man in March 2021 has landed him a community order at Shrewsbury Crown Court. 

Jude Roberts, 23 and Brownlow Street in Ellesmere, was given a 12-month community order and 110 hours of unpaid work by Judge Peter Barrie on Wednesday, July 10.

The court heard that in March 2021, Brandon Black – who has since died – was returning to his home with his then partner Isabel Wellings when he bumped into Roberts and another man, Owen Batha.

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Judge Barrie was told that the pair had known each other for a while but did not get on and a scuffle ensued, before the defendant entered a shop.

After that, the scuffle resumed and led to Roberts kicking and stamping on Mr Black’s face while Batha – who has pleaded guilty at a different hearing – struck Miss Wellings in the stomach.

Prosecutor Phillip Beardwell said that Mr Black was left with superficial injuries and confirmed to the court that he had since died ‘in circumstances not relating to this incident’.

He also read out a victim impact statement – taken in 2022 – from Miss Wellings who said that she had moved home and quit her job as a carer because of the fear she faced from the pair.

And when challenged by Judge Barrie that Miss Wellings was not assaulted by Roberts, he suggested the experience was shared and was being used in lieu of an impact statement for Mr Black.

Judge Barrie later said he would not be taking that into consideration.

Oliver King, defending, reminded the court that the original offence was in 2021 and since then, his client had cleaned up his act.

Her added that probation, in the pre-sentence report (PSR), had remarked the level of maturity in his client who had removed himself from the friends who encouraged him to take drugs and drink.

Sentencing him, Judge Barrie said: “This was a very unpleasant violent attack in March 2021 on Mr Black and Miss Wellings.

“There was no excuse for it and you were seen to be kicking and stamping on Mr Black when he was on the floor.

“Miss Wellings, who Owen Batha attacked, suffered more serious injuries, but you were not a leader of that attack."

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He added: “You have settled into work on the family farm and seem to have grown up and matured.

“But the passage of time cannot prevent the fact that in 2021 you did commit a serious assault.

“The appropriate punishment is a high-level community order but I am persuaded by Mr King that that doesn’t need to include rehabilitation activity because you have sorted yourself out.”