Drunken victim slept through savage beating by Anthony Howells

A DRUNKEN man slept right through a savage beating at the hands of violent Anthony Howells, 60, a court heard.

When Rupert Tomlin woke up later he felt unable to move because of the injuries inflicted on him while he was asleep.

"He felt pain in his wrists, chest and head," said prosecutor Julian Kesner at Gloucester Crown Court. "He said 'I felt so bad I couldn't move' and he didn't know what had happened to him."

Howells, of Honyatt Road, Gloucester, who was on parole from prison at the time of the attack, pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Tomlin causing him actual bodily harm between July 15 and 18.

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He also admitted common assault on friend Kaajal Patel, in whose Gloucester flat the violence happened.

Judge Jamie Tabor QC jailed him for three years.

The judge said Howells has an "appalling" record for violence and it is disturbing that he is still offending despite several courses to try to curb his drinking and his temper.

Mr Kesner had told the court that Miss Patel, Mr Tomlin and another man were drinking in her house on the night of the violence. Later the other man left and Mr Tomlin fell asleep.

"The defendant then burst in through her front door," said Mr Kesner. "He knows Miss Patel and they had in the past been reasonably friendly together. But he was an unwelcome visitor to her home in the small hours of the morning. She asked him to leave. Not liking being told to leave, he started shouting abuse at her, saying he loved her and she had treated him badly.

"He punched her five times. Mr Tomlin has no recollection of events at all, including the assault on him. He woke at 7am feeling unable to move."

Mr Kesner said Howells had numerous convictions for assault. In 2004, he had received a six-year sentence with a four-year extended licence for an axe attack on another man and was on parole when he committed the latest offences.

William Woodman, defending, said that Howell had been working and "functioning well in society" while on parole.

But he said: "When his temper gets the better of him, it really gets the better of him."