Dad who smashed woman in head with brick in 'bizarre' incident spared jail

A dad who smashed a woman in the head with a brick in a 'bizarre' incident has been spared imprisonment. Thomas Davies was outside his own home in Egghill Lane, Northfield when he got into a row with a complete stranger who was intoxicated and holding bottles of vodka and rum.

The woman threw a brick at the 34-year-old which missed but he picked it up and hit her with it as they ended up in a struggle on the ground. The blow caused a 'copious amount of blood' to pour from a 2cm gash on the victim's head which had to be stitched at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Birmingham Crown Court was told that Davies went beyond self defence. He initially denied using the brick before he went on to plead guilty to unlawful wounding.

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But Thomas was speared imprisonment on Friday, June 14. Instead he was handed a 12-month community order including 25 days of rehabilitation activity and 80 hours unpaid work.

The incident took place on Friday evening, June 2 last year as the victim left her home to visit a friend which took her passed Davies' address. Prosecutor David Tremain said: "She then crossed the road and her account was she remembered being accosted by the defendant and had little recollection.

"She accepted she had a bottle of vodka and rum and had been drinking. The victim's friend recounts how the victim asked the defendant what he was looking at. She had gone over to the house. Some words were exchanged which leads the victim to picking up a brick and approaching the defendant aggressively.

"She threw it at him but missed him. He then picked up the brick. There was a struggle that ensued."

Mobile phone footage of the incident recorded by a neighbour was played to the court as Mr Tremain described Davies hitting the woman over the head with the brick while she was on the ground. The prosecutor added there was a 'copious amount of blood' and said: "Mr Davies was acting in self defence and going beyond."

Nicholas Berry, defending, stated: "It was an impulsive incident. He was sat outside with a friend when she came over. They don't know each other. It really is a bizarre incident. He has never engaged with this female before."

He argued the victim 'instigated' the incident adding that Thomas was not a 'significant risk' of breaching his order because his focus was on his children. Passing sentence Recorder Sprawson said: "Life is by no means easy for everybody and sometimes circumstances conspire to put somebody else in a position they never expected to be."

He described the initial struggle as 'six to one, half a dozen to the other' before concluding that Thomas acted in 'anger and temper' by attacking with the brick. Finally, Recorder Sprawson said: "I forgive you for denying it initially. It is not often I use those words but I understand the position you found yourself in.

"With the cold light of day you did the sensible thing and pleaded guilty at the first available opportunity."

He was told Thomas was in debt and on benefits but ordered he pay £100 towards the prosecution costs.