COLCHESTER, ENGLAND – A 39-year-old man named Paul Dineen carried out a violent attack outside Colchester’s Trilogy club on June 30th last year. The incident took place just two days after Dineen had been released from prison for a previous crime, revealed the Ipswich Crown Court during the hearing.
According to reports from the court, Dineen, who was acquainted with the victim, approached them and requested a cigarette and a beer, only to be turned down. Following the refusal, Dineen grabbed a crutch from a nearby person and used it to repeatedly strike the victim on the head, causing severe injuries.
Described as a spontaneous act of violence by Judge Emma Peters, the attack left the victim with a serious head wound and other injuries. Fortunately, the victim did not sustain life-threatening harm from the assault.
During the sentencing, it was shared that Dineen, with no fixed address but from the Colchester area, had a history of offending, particularly violent offenses. Despite being on a community order at the time of the incident, Dineen admitted to a charge of wounding without intent.
In his defense, Dineen’s representative, Barry Gilbert, characterized him as chaotic and non-cooperative. Consequently, Judge Peters sentenced Dineen to 17 months in prison, highlighting the need for probation services to review his case and provide essential support for his mental health issues.
Dineen, who opted not to attend the sentencing hearing, will serve half of his sentence before being released on license, as mandated by the court. The judge emphasized the importance of addressing Dineen’s mental health needs moving forward to prevent future incidents of violence.