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Micklefield spanner thug shopped by mum
A mum reported her teenage son to police after he savagely assaulted a man and beat him with a large steel spanner.
Matthew Clayton, 19, of Garden Village, broke into a garage then attacked the owner when he confronted him.
Just days later the teenager – who already had an Asbo – tried to break into another house in Micklefield, but was chased by police and caught at the local railway station.
Leeds Crown Court was told Clayton – who had pleaded guilty at an
earlier hearing to wounding, burglary and breaching his anti social behaviour order – has committed 172 other offences including thefts, burglaries and criminal damage costing almost 60,000.
The court heard that Clayton broke into a garage owned by Lee Hawkins in April. When confronted by Mr Hawkins, he started beating him with an industrial-sized steel spanner.
He knocked Mr Hawkins to the floor and hit him again, kicking him in the body and the ribs.
Mr Hawkins was left with cuts and bruises to his head, arms and ribs.
Clayton left mouthing "sorry mate but you were stopping us" as he went.
The court was told Clayton then went straight home and admitted the attack to his mother, Lynn Adey, before taking his top off and hiding it in the house.
However his mum contacted the police and handed his top to officers. Blood on the clothing was later DNA-matched with Clayton's.
Just days later, Clayton tried to burgle another house, in Miners Mews, but police were called and he was apprehended at Micklefield Station and charged with breaching his ASBO.
Mitigating, Timothy Jacobs said his client had made positive changes in his life since April, and he was now "trying to wipe the slate clean".
The fact his relationship with his mother remained intact was also a sign of his new-found maturity, he added
Jailing Clayton for three and a half years for the assault on Mr Hawkins, Judge Robert Adams said the spanner attack was "pretty horrific". He said the teenager posed an imminent risk of harm to others "especially anyone confronting you".
"You are only 19. You are already developing a bad record and this offence is clearly a very serious matter indeed," the judge said. "It was a completely unnecessary attack."
Clayton also received concurrent sentences of six months for breaching his Asbo, which runs until 2011, and two-and-a-half years for burglary.
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Friday 18 May 2012
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