Black Country thug who left a man brain damaged has appeal against 12-year sentence rejected
A thug who led a brutal attack that left a defenceless man brain damaged has failed to get his 12-year jail term cut on appeal.
Keith Love, from Tipton, was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and having an offensive weapon in January last year at Wolverhampton Crown Court.
A feud provided the background to his crimes, Judge Adele Williams told London’s Appeal Court yesterday.
The 39 year old, of Powis Avenue, got together a group of others to seek out and attack Phillip Bolton.
They found him on an area of wasteland in Mill Street, Great Bridge, and Love knew Mr Bolton would ‘probably be intoxicated’ and defenceless.
Love had a crook lock with him and others were armed with a brick and pieces of wood.
Mr Bolton was ‘brutally attacked’ and, even when he was clearly badly injured and trying to crawl away, the assault continued.
He suffered a traumatic brain injury, endured a protracted spell in hospital and has scarring to his forehead.
He says ‘his life as he knew it will never be the same’, the court heard.
The judge who jailed Love, who had eight previous convictions for 14 crimes, said he ‘played a leading role in a group attack’.
Love argued that his jail term was far too tough and should be reduced.
But Judge Williams said he ‘not only took a group of people to the scene to attack Mr Bolton' but 'launched a sustained and brutal attack upon him’.
“There are no arguable grounds of appeal,” he ruled the judge, who was sitting with Lord Justice Holroyde and Mr Justice Jay.
