A KIDDERMINSTER thug with a history of violence has been jailed for his part in a group attack using baseball bats which left the victim with broken bones.

Christian Worrall, of Sandicliffe Close, was one of a group of men, including his father Anthony Worrall, who set upon a man with bats.

Worrall junior was jailed for three years at Worcester Crown Court on Wednesday following the attack in Kidderminster on September 30, 2014.

The sustained assault, which lasted five minutes, left the victim with a broken tibia, a fracture to the left scapula and various bruising to the shoulder blade and legs.

Worrall, 32, appeared at the court via videolink from HMP Hewell after he had previously admitted a section 20 grievous bodily harm on the day of the trial.

He was already in custody because he had failed to attend court at a previous hearing, described as 'a particularly gross example of non-appearance' by his honour Judge Robert Juckes QC.

His absence effectively meant he could not be sentenced together with his father and co-defendant Anthony Worrall, who had also admitted GBH and had recruited Worrall junior to take part in the attack.

Worrall senior, 60, of Dowles Road, had previously been sentenced to 30 months in prison for his role in the attack which happened close to his home.

William Dudley, prosecuting, said the complainant had been in communal gardens near flats, describing ‘a history’ between the defendant’s father, Anthony, and Mr Dyke which centred on a suspected theft.

Mr Dudley said Mr Dyke ran away when he recognised the defendants but was pursued by a blond male who was neither the defendant or his father.

The complainant attempted to hide but the blond male found him and was holding a baseball bat.

Mr Dudley said: “The complainant felt himself and saw himself being hit three times by the blond-haired offender before he recognises that others had joined in the attack.

"He believes he was struck by two other baseball bats 10 to 15 times in an attack which lasted five minutes.

"It would seem to be rather premeditated. The father was more of a ringleader than Christian Worrall and effectively Christian Worrall was recruited by his father."

Christian Worrall was later picked out by the victim in an identity parade.

Before this hearing Worrall had 18 convictions in total, his offending history beginning in 1997.

In 1998 he was convicted of a GBH offence. In 2012 he committed actual bodily harm, and in 2013, GBH, for which he received a 15 month prison sentence, an offence for which he was on licence when he committed the most recent GBH.

His honour Judge Juckes QC said the offence involved greater harm because of its sustained nature.

Nicholas Berry, defending, said it was the defendant’s father, Anthony Worrall, who was the instigator and had recruited his son, Christopher.

Mr Berry said of the bail act offence when Worrall junior failed to attend court: “He did not want to face the inevitable consequence. He handed himself in because of the guilt, knowing his father was in custody and he not being there.”

Judge Juckes said: “This was a serious assault because your father and you, particularly your father, between you had decided to take the law into your own hands to attack this man.

“It was a very serious incident which lasted a long time and involved the use of a baseball bat. He suffered serious injuries.”

Judge Juckes sentenced him to three years in prison of which he can expect to serve half. It would have been a 30 month sentence but for his 'flagrant non-appearance' for which Judge Juckes added three months.