Father and son jailed for attack on business owner

Wayne Smith, aged 23, was among a gang of eight men led by his father Walter Smith who barged into a garage on an industrial estate Brierley Hill, armed with metal bars and wooden clubs.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard Walter Smith damaged two vehicles with a large wooden pole before using it to strike the business owner across the face.

Prosecutor Miss Nazneen Sultan told the court Walter Smith had suspected the garage owner had been responsible for a burglary at his own business. She said: "On June 29 the victim was at work with another man when a group of eight men led by Walter Smith barged through the gates.

"Walter Smith initially damaged two vehicles with a long wooden stick before hitting the victim in the face, smashing his front teeth. Several members of the group set about the victim, hitting him with metal bars and wooden sticks all over his body."

She said a second man who had been working in the premises attempted to intervene but he was struck and lost consciousness.

"When he got up Wayne Smith struck him to the left side of his head with a tyre lever," she added.

The court heard the garage owner suffered a cut to his head which required 10 stitches and had his front teeth plate smashed during the incident, while the other man required seven stitches for a deep cut to his forehead.

Mr Nicholas Tatlow, defending Walter Smith, told the court the 57-year-old had acted out of character during the incident.

Defending Wayne Smith, Miss Raquel Simpson said: "He acted through misplaced loyalty to his father."

Walter Smith and Wayne Smith, both of Bank Road, Netherton, pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding. They received prison sentences of 16 months and 14 months respectively. A separate charge of aggravated burglary was ordered to remain on each defendant's file.