ASBO Riders Jailed After Assault
Two yobs who were riding motorcycles illegally and in a dangerous manner have been jailed after assaulting a member of the public
Two men from the West Midlands, who were riding motorcycles illegally in Coventry have been jailed, after assaulting a man who challenged them.
Jamie Townsend, 36 of Thackhall Street in Coventry, and Thomas Black, 29 of Dark Lane in Bedworth, were spotted June 20, 2024 at around 16:00. They were riding off-road bikes on Keresley Recreation Ground in Coventry, a popular park for families during the summer months.
After riding their bikes in what Warwickshire police call a ‘reckless manner’, due to there being families with children in the park, one fed-up member of the public decided to stand up to the yobs.
After this initial contact with the member of the public, the riders made off, only to bump into him again a short while later. This second meeting was near a shop on Rathbone Close, where Townsend and Black, according to the police report, pinned the man to the ground and physically assaulted him. The two then fled the area, and the victim of the assault was later taken to hospital suffering from head injuries.
The two men were identified and arrested the following day. The pair were both sentenced to 657 days in prison for assault occasioning actual bodily harm at Warwick Crown Court on December 9, 2024. Black will serve this sentence consecutively with another sentence of four years, two months, and 11 days, which was received for a previous burglary in Coventry. Both are also required to pay a victim’s surcharge of £187.
Speaking about the arrest and subsequent sentencing, DS Rich Walker said:
“Townsend and Black attacked a man who was concerned for the safety of children who could have been injured by their irresponsible use of motorbikes in a public park.
“In a better world, they could have taken a moment to consider how their actions could be putting their community at risk of harm and taken their bikes elsewhere.
“Instead, they will spend the next 657 days behind bars, hopefully contemplating the different choices they could have made.”
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
