My first court report

I went to court today to do some reporting as part of my journalism MA. It was actually a lot more interesting and easier to follow than I thought it would be. Unfortunately my shorthand is not quite up to scratch yet so my notes were abit sketchy! Here's my first court news report:

Two men were jailed for four years today for beating a man to the brink of death with a metal bar.

Tony Chapman, 38, from Andover was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months for causing grievous bodily harm with intent. Scott Atkinson, 40, also from Andover, was sentenced to 4 years for conspiracy to rob at Bournemouth Crown Court.

The judge Nigel Lickley said of the two men: “You are both responsible for the terror caused that night which resulted in a man suffering very serious injuries – which he may never recover from.”

Atkinson was found guilty in August of conspiring to rob Lawrence Nolan by breaking into his house in search of drugs. Chapman was found guilty of grievous bodily harm after beating Nolan with a metal weight lifting bar causing him serious brain damage.

The incident happened in February this year. The judge described how both men had been drinking extensively that day and decided to go to Nolan’s flat to steal some drugs, taking with them the metal bar.

Nolan was in bed with his girlfriend that evening when the two men arrived, forcing their way in through the bedroom window.

Chapman then took Nolan into a separate room and savagely beat him whilst Atkinson held Mr Nolan’s girlfriend hostage in the bedroom, seizing her mobile phone.

Mr Lickley told how Chapman believed that Nolan had attacked his nephew in a previous incident - as he was being beaten Nolan was heard to shout: “you’ve got the wrong man.”

Chapman later admitted that he did make a mistake and that Nolan had attempted to protect his nephew from being attacked.

Nolan suffered serious brain damage and blood loss as a result of the attack. He can only communicate through eye movement and remains in hospital as he is unable to even feed himself.

The judge said when sentencing the men: “Mr Nolan will never forget his injuries and is devoid of having any meaningful life…You are both a danger to the public.”