Dangerous offender jailed for assaulting two men

Luke Harborne went to the homes of people he knew on September 4 last year, Worcester Crown Court was told.

He got into the house of one of the victims, Robin Lunn, in Rodborough Drive, and when he was asked to leave, he repeatedly punched Mr Lunn, causing a fracture to his cheekbone, Scott Coughtrie, (CORRECT) prosecuting, told the court.

He went to another house nearby and when the occupant, Craig McCarthy, refused to let him and his companion in, he was assaulted in the doorway as he prevented them gaining access.

Harborne, of Dalegarth Court, Worcester, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm and to common assault.

Mr Coughtrie said Mr Lunn was a vulnerable man with mental health issues who had been scared to go out at night since the incident. He said Harborne and the other man, who was jailed for 13 weeks for assault at an earlier hearing, had been looking for somewhere to go to smoke some crack cocaine and had tried the houses of people they knew. They were carrying empty bottles of Jack Daniel's and were "highly intoxicated," Mr Coughtrie said.

"They knew very well Mr Lunn was vulnerable and they went to his property deliberately," he said.

Andrew Hobson, defending, said Harborne was described as a "dangerous offender" in a pre-sentence report by the probation service but he did not believe this to be the case. Although he had a bad record including some previous convictions for offences of violence, most of his offending was caused by drinking too much and carrying out minor acts of criminal damage.

He said Harborne had now taken steps to tackle his drinking. He said he had not intended to cause such serious injuries and was genuinely remorseful.

Recorder Davinder Lachhar (CORRECT) said Harborne had been looking for places where he could use illicit drugs and had called "in a drunken state" on two homes.

He was jailed for a total of 15 months.