Man handed prison term for ‘unprovoked’ attack in Ipswich town centre

Ashley Proctor, 23, approached James Stock outside the Regent Theatre in the early hours of March 9 last year and started “laying into him”, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Proctor punched Mr Stock in the face, knocking off his glasses, and when Mr Stock’s girlfriend, Hannah Maynard, picked them up she was grabbed by Ellen Woolnough, said Joanne Eley, prosecuting.

Mr Stock and Miss Maynard ran towards Orchard Street but Mr Stock was hit repeatedly in the face by Proctor. While Mr Stock was grappling with Proctor on the ground he was kicked in the face by an unknown male.

“Miss Maynard described it as if someone was kicking a football,” Miss Eley said.

Miss Maynard called 999 and was approached by Woolnough who grabbed her hair saying: “I’m going to knife you unless you give me money.”

Mr Stock was taken to hospital with a gash on his nose, abrasion to his cornea and bruising to his eyes.

Proctor, of Pine Drive, admitted assaulting Mr Stock causing him actual bodily harm and was jailed for two years. He was ordered to pay £500 compensation.

Woolnough, 20, of Camden Road, Ipswich, denied attempting to rob Miss Maynard and assaulting her by beating but was found guilty of both offences by a jury at an earlier trial.

She was given an 18-month prison sentence suspended for two years, a supervision order and a 16-week curfew from 9pm-6am.

Sentencing the pair, Judge David Goodin described the victims as “two perfectly law abiding people” and that since the attack they had moved out of Ipswich because they no longer felt safe.

Judge Goodin described Proctor’s attack on Mr Stock as an “utterly unprovoked onslaught”.

Neil Saunders, for Proctor, said his client attacked Mr Stock because he thought his group had been disrespectful to Woolnough.

Nicola May, for Woolnough, said there was no evidence of her having a weapon and the incident was unplanned.

“She is ashamed of her behaviour,” Miss May said.