Brothers who kicked and punched woman in 'cowardly' attack are jailed

The victim was dragged by her hair during the terrifying assault which left her with a fractured cheekbone and a broken nose.

Attackers Stefan and Lamar Campbell had followed her to Drinks World in West Bromwich following a row with her and her boyfriend, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

The brothers had pulled up alongside the couple in a Mini Cooper in a chance meeting, the court heard, and due to history with the boyfriend began to row with each other.

The boyfriend was chased into the town centre while the female victim sought refuge in the shop.

But she was soon found by the brothers. CCTV footage of their attack was shown to the court. Lamar, aged 19, of Crosby Close, Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, instigated the violence, punching her to the floor. Stefan, aged 26, of Vale Street, Ettingshall, Wolverhampton, then weighed in as punches and kicks continued to be thrown by both men before she was dragged across the store as a stunned shopkeeper looked on. They then ran off up the High Street, taking her purse.

Stefan was jailed for nine years and four months and his brother for seven years and four months.

They both admitted assault causing grievous bodily harm and robbery.

The court heard how Stefan was on licence at the time of the attack which happened just before 2.30pm last September and had only been released from prison three months earlier. As an 18-year-old he also stabbed a man on a bus.

Lamar, who spent time working at Wolverhampton Racecourse collecting glasses, was serving a suspended prison sentence at the time for possession of heroin and cocaine with intent to supply.

The victim locked herself in the shop's toilet following the attack, terrified the brothers would come back. A patch of her hair was torn out when she was dragged across the shop and she said her ordeal transformed her from a confident person to someone who is constantly anxious and looking over her shoulder, the court heard.

Judge James Burbidge said: "They didn't attack a man. In a cowardly way they attacked a woman. Their argument was with the man."

He added: "You pursued her. What followed was an extremely violent assault on a lone woman. It was a ferocious and sustained. It is true that Lamar Campbell, you were first to beat her up. You were joined actively and willingly by Stefan, your older brother.

"Your actions were captured on CCTV and anybody watching it would be sickened by what they saw.

"She has been psychologically adversely affected. She said it had totally altered her life from being a confident individual to an anxious individual. Her injuries will heal but the thought of what happened to her will not."