Ouston man lashed out at victim on doorstep with glass solar panel

Paul Clennell made threats, damaged property and left a man at the house with a partly detached ear following an attack with a glass solar panel.

Ian Mullarkey, prosecuting, said the offence goes back to May 14, 2021, when there was a loud bang at the back door of the victim’s home, on The Brooms, Ouston, near Chester-le-Street, shortly before 2pm.

On looking out, the householder saw Clennell in the garden, looking in, so he went to the kitchen window and asked what he was doing.

Read more: Brandon incident saw thug try to stab homeowner on doorstep

Mr Mullarkey said the defendant picked up a plant pot and threw it at the window, but it bounced off and smashed on the ground.

The male householder’s partner then went to the kitchen door and told Clennell to leave.

But he ignored her and threw another plant pot at the kitchen window.

Clennell then began to walk back towards a grey BMW car on the road outside, and the couple moved away from the window, but another item, thought to be a glass bottle, was also thrown towards the house.

Mr Mullarkey said the male householder suffers epilepsy and was worried he could be injured if he went outside.

Clennell was seen getting into the passenger side of the BMW and was driven away in the car, which contained two other people.

Mr Mullarkey said the car returned and the householder’s partner came out to ask what he (Clennell) wanted.

In response, Clennell said: “Get him outside,” but was told he (her partner) would not be coming out and he should leave.

Clennell then walked round the garden and picked up a glass solar panel which he used to strike the side of the face of the victim, who was, by then, on the doorstep.

He was struck on the ear and stumbled down to the bottom of the steps as his partner ushered Clennell out of the garden, before he left in the BMW.

Read more: Man jailed for knifepoint threats on father's County Durham doorstep

Police arrived a short time later and found the victim suffering a partially-detached ear.

Mr Mullarkey said the casualty underwent specialist treatment the following day to re-attach the ear, with part of his tegus removed to add to the disfigurement.

When arrested and interviewed, the defendant made no comment to police questions.

In his impact statement, the victim spoke of his and his family’s fear at what took place, and said they were worried there may be a repeat.

Clennell, 28, of Coldstream, Ouston, admitted a charge of unlawful wounding, on the day of his scheduled trial, on January 4.

On his return for sentence, the court heard the defendant has past drug-related offences and others for violence for which he has received previous suspended sentence orders.

Mr Mullarkey said an aggravating feature of the latest offence was that the defendant has since accepted he was under the influence of drugs at the time.

Jamie Adams, for Clennell, presented character testimonials to the court on behalf of the defendant which he said, “speak highly of him”.

Mr Adams accepted that Clennell, “should never have done anything of the sort” but he told the court: “At the time he still struggled with his mental health and was using various things to cope, smoking cannabis and other things.”

With the passage of time, however, he said his client has, “very gradually moved on,” since the incident.

“He’s clearly a different person to who he was then and the good side of him has come out thanks to the help he’s been given by everyone around him.

“There are now a lot of people depending on him and who would suffer if he were to receive a custodial sentence today.

“He’s ashamed of what he did, but he now works for a company sub-contracted to a water company and has good employment prospects.”

Judge James Adkin said there was no clear explanation why the defendant showed so much aggression to his victim.

“My suspicion is that you were there to intimidate him.

“He needed surgery and suffered significant stress and feared repercussions.”

But Judge Adkin said due to the delay in the case coming to court, which was not of the defendant’s making, and the fact that he believes Clennell would comply with the community element of a suspended prison sentence, he could avoid imposing an immediate jail term.

Read next:

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               Victim had no memory of being waylaid in County Durham store car park

               Teenage knife attacker after almost severed Consett woman's finger

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He passed a 21-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, during which Clennell must complete 200-hours’ unpaid work, take part in 30 probation-led rehabilitation activity days and pay his victim £1,000 compensation within three months.

Judge Adkin also made the defendant subject of a restraining order, prohibiting him from approaching or contacting his victim for five years.

He warned him that failure to abide by the terms of the orders, or should he commit a further offence within the next two years, Clennell would be facing an immediate prison sentence.