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Malicious attack on a Bristol rough sleeper

April 11 2013
Man who stamped on woman‘s face gets suspended sentence

 

A musician who kicked and stomped on the head of a Bristol rough sleeper, has been sentenced with a suspended jail term.

Sharon Collins, who was bedding down with her Jack Russell in a Bristol underpass known to locals as the Bear Pit, spoke to Diego Rodriguez at 1.15am in October last year; he responded with an unprovoked attack, kicking Collins in the back of the head and returning to stamp on her face.

CCTV footage and blood found on the defendant’s shoe helped to secure his arrest and subsequent conviction.

Although he says he was drunk and cannot recall the encounter, he pleaded guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Crown Court judge David Ticehurst gave Rodriguez a 12-month prison sentence, which was suspended for 18 months. He must also carry out 240 hours unpaid work and pay £100 court costs, along with a further £100 to the victim.

The judge told Rodriguez: “As your barrister said, this was a malicious and violent offence. This woman was sleeping rough. She regarded an underpass in Bristol as her bedroom.

“She was sleeping on blankets, her head was on a suitcase and she was trying to get some sleep when someone like you comes along and kicks her for no good reason.”

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