A man who took part in armed attack on another man in a Crowland street was today (Thurs) jailed for two years and eight months.
Samuel Smith (33) was among a group of three men who targeted the victim in May last year as he got out of his car near his home in Ros Knight Gardens.
Lincoln Crown Court heard the victim was getting his baby out of his own vehicle when he became aware of another car pulling up.
Sam Lowne, prosecuting, told the court three masked men got out of the car with some of the group carrying knives.
Mr Lowne said the victim had received a message telling him that Smith was in the area with some other men.
The victim tried to run away up Ros Knight Gardens but was attacked by one of the group after failing to get in a neighbouring property, the court was told.
During the attack the victim was kicked and said he was struck to the head three times and felt he was “being hit with something heavy and metal.”
Mr Lowne said the prosecution could not identify which one of the men was the attacker and accepted the victim was not stabbed and that Smith did not have a knife.
The victim attended Peterborough Hospital but discharged himself because of the long wait.
In an impact statement the victim said his family had suffered from panic attacks and sleepless nights, and they also had to move home.
Smith was arrested two weeks after the attack but made no comment.
The court heard Smith had 15 previous convictions for 25 offences including a seven-year prison sentence for a Section 18 assault.
Smith, of Archer Crescent, Wymondham, Norfolk, pleaded guilty to two charges of affray and assault causing actual bodily harm on May 24 last year.
In mitigation the court was told Smith had previously been assaulted by the victim and had travelled to Lincolnshire from Norfolk to visit family.
Smith was suffering from depression at the time of the offences after his brother had been diagnosed with cancer, and had ceased taking his own medication, the court was told.
The court heard Smith had spent seven months on remand since the incident and was an “exemplary” prisoner.
Passing sentence Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight told Smith that while he may not have been carrying a knife himself it was his disagreement with the victim which they were jointly acting on.
“You were masked, some of the group had large knives,” Judge Sjolin Knight said.
A restraining order was also made which prevents Smith from contacting the victim and his family.
