A Somerset man has been sentenced to 2 years in prison, suspended for 2 years, after attempting to strangle his friend on the bed of a caravan in Newport last year.
Oliver James Maxwell Franks, 44, of Labourham Drove in Cheddar, appeared before the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court back in March and pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The court heard that during the early hours of 29th May 2021, Franks seriously assaulted Julian Scott at a caravan on Beech Road in Barton – an incident previously reported by Island Echo. The assault was so serious that it resulted in Mr Scott sustaining a broken nose and a swollen eye, as well as significant bruising to the face and neck.
The Crown Prosecution Service told that the defendant and victim didn’t know each other all that well but had gone out drinking together in Cowes. By 19:00 they had arrived in Newport and had a few drinks at The Crispin, before moving on to The Man in the Moon pub. It’s here where they stayed until around 00:45 before buying cider bottles and leaving the establishment, heading to Scott’s caravan on nearby Pan Estate.
Within 30 minutes of the duo arriving at the caravan, Franks began acting ‘strangely’ and made Mr Scott feel uneasy. When Franks was asked to leave, he turned on Mr Scott and punched him in the face multiple times. Franks pinned his acquaintance on the bed and tried to strangle him, with Mr Scott only able to get away when he poked Franks in the eye.
Defending, Christopher Gaiger said his client was suffering from a psychotic episode at the time and due to this believe that Mr Scott had made inappropriate comments about a family member.
With Magistrates deciding that the matter was too serious to be dealt with by them, the case went to the Isle of Wight Crown Court on Wednesday (27th April) where Recorder Gibney handed Oliver Franks a 2-year prison sentence, suspended for 2 years, with 25 rehabilitation days and 100 hours of unpaid work included.
Franks was also ordered to pay £3,000 in compensation.
Ah OK cool – so basically for what amounts to attempted murder you get a suspended sentence? Excellent example. No wonder we are fu***ed
Well said what kind of morons do we have giving sentences in the courts.
So let us get this clear any violent crime is o.k unless it’s murder.
What great protection the public have.
Well said. Shows the courts are no longer prepared to support the public. We are all on our own.
Recorder gibney should go to jail for giving out such a lenient sentence. Isn’t strangling basically attempted murder?
Is this another trend of low life getting shipped here? Friends who try to kill their friends? Who needs enemies with scum for a friend, and another namby pamby sentence because of a brain sickness excuse. Smack heads and swillers getting off too light and endangering us all.
Ludicrous lenient sentence. He has got away scot free. Zero deterrent to violent morons.
When will the justice system start punishing people.
The public are losing faith rapidly
Why is it that every time I read of a Court case here it ends with me wanting to scream at our ridiculous, impotent, useless, brain dead, out of touch judiciary who continue to allow these idiots to walk all over OUR Towns and Villages threatening and hurting and maiming anyone they want, safe in the knowledge that we don’t have enough effective Police and IF they are caught they will have a nice night in the Cells, get a half decent breakfast, be offered help with mental health, have their wounds treated, get a nice clean up and then wander into our Magistrates court to hear another lousy excuse for their actions and walk out scott free!
Because these Joe’s have son’s and daughter’s very mutch like these criminals if not worse as they tend to blend in well to a reformed society that dont do bad under health exemption excuses giveing them a green path of distruction/disfuncstionality. But seriously evan theses shadey jurrierers couldn’t wipe there but if they tried let alone judge another’s consequence on a criminal case ahaha
Makes you wonder what you have to do to get a prison sentence that isn’t suspended?
Try not paying your council tax, that will probably work!
I am considering taking up a life of crime, as the risks to my freedom are so low now, the benefits far outweigh the consequences.
Many years ago, the mere thought of court appearances and jail sentences put the fear into you- now it is just a joke and no longer a worry, if caught.
why work hard, pay your bills, save for retirement and abide by the law, when you can lie, cheat, thieve and scam with virtual impunity now. Turn up on a dinghy, get free housing, free handouts or leave school with zero qualifications and just steal what you want, without going to jail or fear of being deported sends out the message that “Crime pays”
You mustn’t refer to our MP’s like that, you might get jailed …. lol