Father spared jail for anniversary attack

Amari Sappleton borrowed his mother's car on October 10 and agreed to return it either later that same day or early the next day. However, by the time the 28-year-old brought it back at lunchtime the following day, his stepfather - a former police surgeon and prison doctor- was upset.

Mr Timothy Harrington, prosecuting at Wolverhampton Crown Court, said: "The stepfather continually asked 'is it your car? Whose car is it?'"

Sappleton, of Albany Crescent, Bilston, then lost his temper and became aggressive, pushing his stepfather twice causing bruising.

The couple's two children - Sappleton's half siblings - aged four and seven witnessed the argument at the family home in Harrington Croft, West Bromwich, and one tried to intervene.

"The defendant then struck a hard blow with a fist to his stepfather's jaw, causing a single break, and hard enough to knock him back five metres. It felled him," said Mr Harrington.

Sappleton's stepdad said the incident was more frightening for him than when he was robbed at gunpoint in India.

Mr Harrington continued: "He had suffered abuse as a police surgeon and prison doctor in the past, and had even been robbed at gunpoint in India, but all that paled in significance to how he felt being attacked in his own home in front of his children."

The day in question was his and his wife's anniversary and they had to cancel a trip away due to his injury. He had also been scheduled to perform surgery later that day, which had to be cancelled.

The court heard how Sappleton was remorseful and had made an effort to turn his life around by starting a car-selling business and looking after his own children.

Recorder Dean Kershaw said it had been a serious assault committed on a man who had acted like a father to Sappleton.

He said: "There was a confrontation between you and your stepfather, and what took place after that can only be summed up in the word 'violence'.

"You used, I am in no doubt at all, your considerable size and considerable weight put behind a punch that fractured a man's jaw. You did that in the presence of children and there is simply no excuse for it. It doesn't matter how annoyed you get or how angry you get - your bullish behaviour in the presence of those young children may stay with them for a very long time."

Sappleton, who pleaded guilty on the day of his scheduled trial in July, was sentenced to nine months' jail suspended for 18 months. He was ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work, 18 months of supervision, and ordered to pay compensation of £500 and complete the Thinking Skills programme.

A restraining order prevents him from contacting his stepfather and the two children or visiting their house.