Two people who attacked a man in his home in Herne Bay have been jailed for a total of more than eight years.

Jo Bath, 46, and Stuart Holland, 45, used homophobic language as they hit the victim, who was in his late fifties, with a fire poker and wooden truncheon.

The pair, both of Union Street, Canterbury, both admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and theft and were sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on Monday 12 April 2021.

Bath tablet
Jo Bath and Stuart Holland have been jailed

Bath was jailed for a total of five and a half years. Her sentence included terms for drugs and theft offences which she committed between December 2019 and October 2020. Holland was jailed for three years for the assault.

Offence

The attack took place on the evening of Saturday 16 March 2019 at a property in Fleetwood Avenue, Herne Bay, at which Holland had previously carried out renovation work.

Bath and Holland entered the property and shouted homophobic language at the victim before hitting him on the legs and head with a fire poker and a truncheon. Holland then forced the poker into the victim’s mouth.

The two assailants left the house after the police were called and stole the victim’s wallet as they left.

Arrests

Bath was arrested the following day and the truncheon used in the attack was found at her home.

Three days after the attack, a search was carried out of Holland’s home and he was found hiding in the loft.

PC Justine Solly, Kent Police’s investigating officer, said: ‘Kent Police takes hate crime extremely seriously and will use every method open to us to bring to justice those who commit offences motivated by sexual orientation or other characteristics.

‘This attack was extremely distressing for the victim and I am pleased our investigation saw these offenders quickly arrested and brought before the courts.’

By Ed

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