Offender James Medlam was swinging his arms ‘wildly’ before landing punches ‘as hard as he possibly could’, a court heard
James Medlam admitted assault(Image: Humberside Police)
An aggressive bully viciously attacked another man with a “flurry of hard punches” during a sudden violent beating that left the victim with a fractured eye socket, a broken nose and bleeding on his brain. Bad-tempered drug user James Medlam thought that his girlfriend had been upset by the other man and he started swinging his arms “wildly” before landing punches “as hard as he possibly could” on the victim’s face, Hull Crown Court heard.
Medlam, 42, of Staveley Road, east Hull, but recently in custody on remand, admitted assaulting the man, causing actual bodily harm, on July 12. An alternative charge of robbery was dropped after the case was listed for trial.
Oliver Shipley, prosecuting, said that Medlam took another man back to his flat. Medlam’s girlfriend was there and he later saw that she was crying. He came back into the room and accused the other man of upsetting her.
Medlam became aggressive and started shouting. The man denied that he had upset her. Medlam immediately walked over to him and “began a flurry of punches towards his head”.
His “arms were swinging wildly” towards the victim’s face and he was “landing punches as hard as he possibly could”. The man believed that the attack lasted for about two minutes.
“He tried to guard his face with his hands and he didn’t fight back,” said Mr Shipley. “When the opportunity arose, he stood up and ran out of the address. He immediately called the police.”
The man suffered a badly injured and swollen, closed eye as well as swelling all around his forehead. He was taken to hospital and had a CT scan.
It revealed bleeding to the left side of his brain and a fractured eye socket, with a collection of blood in it.
The victim suffered fractures to the hollow space behind his left cheekbone, resulting in fragments, and he also had a broken nose. Medlam was arrested but he denied any assault. He claimed that the man left without any injuries and he denied causing any injuries. He claimed: “I swear on my dead dad’s ashes I never robbed anyone or assaulted anyone.”
The victim later said that he suffered severe anxiety and it really knocked his confidence. “It has filled me with frustration and resentment,” he said.
Medlam had convictions for 59 previous offences, including two involving assaults. He had previously been jailed for 20 months but his most recent conviction was in May for theft.
Nick Murphy, mitigating, said that the attack seemed to amount to a flurry of punches. “He has spent time reflecting on his actions,” said Mr Murphy. “He made a stupid decision to act as he did.”
Medlam wanted to apologise for his behaviour. He had been in custody since July 15 and he was free of drugs and methadone. “In his own words, he is 42 years old and he has had enough,” said Mr Murphy.
“He realises that he can’t continue to behave as he has in the past. He is too old for it. He feels he has done all of his life in jail. He is sick of it.
“He feels that he is in a position to turn a corner. He has reflected on his actions and he is remorseful for them.” Medlam had previously worked on trawlers.
Deputy circuit judge Timothy Clayson told Medlam: “He had gone with you to your flat. You quite suddenly became violent when you assumed that he had upset your partner. It went on. You didn’t stop.
“There were numerous punches. He was badly injured. As soon as he could, he ran off. It was a very nasty assault.”
Medlam landed a “flurry of hard punches” during the “prolonged” attack. The violence erupted against a “background of something and nothing”.
Medlam was jailed for 20 months.