Pair who broke man's jaw in Kettering following Facebook argument jailed

Two men who fractured a man's jaw after they attacked him in a Kettering street have been jailed.
Northampton Crown CourtNorthampton Crown Court
Northampton Crown Court

Joel Clarke, aged 24, and Tyla Oram, aged 27, repeatedly punched a man after they confronted him in Nelson Street.

Northampton Crown Court heard the pair were travelling in a car when they spotted the victim.

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Balraj Bhatia, prosecuting, said Oram started “squaring up” to the victim and accused him of writing derogatory things about him on Facebook.

CCTV footage of the incident shown to the court revealed that both men punched the victim and one particularly heavy blow to his jaw resulted in a fracture.

Mr Bhatia said the victim had to stay in hospital for a day to allow his jaw to be pinned and teeth wired. His injury required a further operation, which involved the removal of some teeth.

The assault took place on October 2016, 2014. Mr Bhatia said the case had taken a long time to come to court as the victim had not contacted police until April 2015.

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The court heard that Clarke, who is currently serving a 32-month prison sentence for dealing cocaine, was caught with a quantity of cannabis and a mobile phone linking him to drug dealing in February 2015.

Clarke and Oram both pleaded guilty to a charge of grievous bodily harm.

Judge Fowler, sentencing said nothing the victim had said could have justified the violent attack the two men carried out.

Judge Fowler said it was the sort of episode of violence that only warranted an immediate custodial sentence.

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Oram was sentenced to 16 months in jail and Clarke was sentenced to 20 months in jail for GBH and a further six months for possession of cannabis with intent to supply.

Clarke will serve his 26-month prison sentence concurrently to his current jail term in HMP Ranby in Nottinghamshire.