Attacked half- naked man in ex-lover’s bed
A MAN was half-naked in a woman’s bed in Bulwell when he was found by her jealous ex-boyfriend and attacked, Nottingham Crown Court heard.
Damian Pennant (31) had burst into the bedroom of his former partner, Chantelle Porter, in Bacton Gardens on Saturday February 25.
Austin Wallace, who was caught in the compromising position, told Pennant: “It’s not what you think.” But Pennant hit him on the head and body with an iron bar, the court heard.
Mr Wallace claimed he was just a friend of Ms Porter and was staying at the address because he had had too much to drink.
Pennant denied wounding with intent and also pleaded not guilty to possessing an iron bar. But a jury found him guilty on both counts and he was jailed for nine years.
After the attack, Mr Wallace — wearing only his socks and boxer shorts — made a hair-raising escape. He jumped over the staircase banister, rushed out onto the street and ran a mile and a quarter, looking for a phone.
He happened to be spotted by a taxi driver who recognised him and stopped to help him. Mr Wallace used the cabbie’s phone to call the police because he was worried about Ms Porter. “I did not know what was going to happen to her,” he told the court.
Although Mr Wallace made the call anonymously, he told police he was going to the Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, for his injuries to be treated. He was traced there by officers and they took photos of injuries to his back.
Searching Ms Porter’s address, police took photos of blood splatters on blinds and on a radiator and ceiling. Pennant was arrested but made no comment in police interviews.
The court heard that Pennant was the father of two children by Ms Porter and had found it hard to come to terms with the possibility of her finding a new boyfriend.
He and his cousin, Marcus Raymond (29), were said to have kept watch on the house, parking nearby and waiting for the lights to go out. They then hung on for a further hour for Ms Porter and Mr Wallace to fall asleep before entering the house, the prosecution claimed.
Raymond, of Celandine Close, Top Valley, faced the same two charges as Pennant but was cleared of any involvement. He told police he waited outside the address in a car and only entered the house after he heard shouting.
“I split up what was going on,” he added. “I am a peacemaker and I did not chase anyone from the address.”
Pennant’s counsel, Sharon Bailey, said she acknowledged that a custodial sentence was inevitable.
Pennant had been remanded in custody since he was arrested.
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Sunday 19 May 2013
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