Man who launched brutal attack on love rival at wake jailed
A businessman has been jailed after he launched a brutal assault on a man he believed had slept with his ex-wife – punching and kicking him unconscious outside a wake.
Adrian Degg, 47, set upon his victim outside The Cottage pub in Oakhill, Stoke-on-Trent, in December 2022. Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard the businessman punched the man in the face, knocking him to the ground, before returning to kick him in the head 'with some force' as he lay unconscious.
The victim suffered two fractures to his jaw, needed metal plates inserted during surgery and has since been plagued by infections and ongoing health problems. He later described the attack as 'cowardly and vicious' and said it left him jobless, homeless and struggling with depression.
Degg, of Newcastle, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm and was sentenced to 27 months behind bars, reports StokeonTrentLive.
Prosecutor Hunter Gray told the court: 'The defendant swung his arm, connecting with the victim's face, who fell unconscious to the floor. The defendant then kicked him directly to the face. When asked what happened, he said, 'He slept with my ex-wife.''
The victim told how the assault has had devastating consequences, leaving him unable to eat properly and contributing to a decline in his health. Members of the family attending the wake said the shocking attack had tarnished the day, which was meant to be a celebration of their loved one's life.
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In a statement, Degg claimed he felt threatened and insisted he had only struck the victim with 'not much force.'
Defence lawyer Paul Cliff argued that Degg, who runs a successful construction business, had stayed out of trouble for two decades and that prison would have a severe impact on his employees and family. He urged the judge to consider a suspended sentence.
But Judge Richard McConaghy said only immediate custody was appropriate. He told Degg: 'You hit him in the face, knocking him unconscious, then kicked him directly to the face. This was a revenge attack. You broke his jaw in two places, leaving him with ongoing complications.
'You are a hardworking man and have stayed out of trouble for 20 years, but your offending is so serious that only a prison sentence can follow.'
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