Sunderland pair beat up man in his own home with crutch

Two Sunderland men have been jailed after they beaten up a man in his own home with a crutch.

Kyle Thompson, 29, and Ryan Wilson, 33, attacked their victim at his home in Sunderland earlier this year in May, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Both pleaded guilty to wounding without intent and received a custodial sentence of 12 months.

Thompson was also jailed for an additional 10 months for dangerous driving, after he attempted to escape from the police in a high speed chase and crashed.

The victim of the attack did not want to press charges initially and report the attack, but it was reported after he was saw by a friend with extensive bruising and bleeding on his face.

A trawl of CCTV footage found that the pair went into the man’s home and police concluded a crutch had been used in the attack, prosecutors said.

Thompson was on bail at the time of the police pursuit, which happened on 4 April.

He was driving a Vauxhall Corsa, and fled when a police car pulled up behind him on Ryhope Road, in Sunderland, at about 23:30 BST, the court heard.

He reached speeds of up to 70mph in 30mph zones, flew through red lights, drove on the opposing side of the road and the wrong way around roundabouts before crashing into a parked van on Hunter Street.

He was arrested in the driver’s seat and a roadside test showed he had cocaine and cannabis in his system, but Thompson refused to give a blood test at the police station as he claimed he was afraid of needles, prosecutors said.

Thompson, who also admitted failing to give a specimen and driving without a licence or insurance, was banned from driving for two years and 11 months and must take an extended test.