Jealous lover in 'shoot' threat is jailed

Richard Aston turned up at the home of the victim with an unknown man at Ashenhurst Walk in Dudley.

He knocked on the door, before shoving the victim into his home, punching him and kicking him in the head.

Miss Alka Brigue, told Wolverhampton Crown Court: "The injured party had been watching television in bed at around 11pm. He heard a knock on the door and thought it was a neighbour. He opened the door and recognised the defendant and was pushed into the flat. He was punched in the face by the defendant and kicked in the head by both men.

"Mr Aston was told to leave the victim by the other man when it was seen he had had enough. Before he left the defendant told the complainant he would shoot him if he told the police."

The victim suffered cuts to his head and a fractured cheek bone in the attack, in November last year.

Aston was arrested at his home.

He told police he had been at pub and got home at 11pm and watched television.

A victim impact statement was read out in court where the complainant said he had sleepless nights and was frightened by noises outside of his front door. He also said he was scared of bumping into Aston again.

The court also heard that 57-year-old Aston had had 18 previous convictions for 24 offences.

This included him attacking a man in a pub over a row over a SIM card.

Mr Stephen Hamblett, defending Aston, said: "Mr Aston is realistic about his sentence and that he will be in custody for some years. He tells me that the injured party may have been having a relationship with his partner. He said he went to speak to him about it but this turned to violence. While he does have several convictions on his record many were committed when he was a young man."

Aston, of Clent Court, Vicarage Prospect, Dudley, pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent.

He was jailed for four years and nine months and given a restraining order that prevented him from contacting the victim directly or indirectly.