Man Jailed for Medway Assaults

5 July 2010, 09:47 | Updated: 5 July 2010, 09:56

A 22 year-old from Rochester has been jailed for a number of assaults in Medway.

Antonio Shearer, of Copperhouse Road, was arrested after police investigating and incident at the Tap n Tin in Chatham sent a CCTV picture of him to other pubs and clubs in the towns.

He was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and causing an affray after four people were injured in an unprovoked attack on 19th July 2009.

He was jailed for two years for affray and two and a half years for ABH, with the sentences to run concurrently.

Investigating officer PC Phil Pead said:  ‘This was an unprovoked incident in a busy Medway nightspot that caused injuries to a number of people.  We are pleased with the sentence and hope that it offers some closure for his victims.

‘The fact that Shearer was well known in pubs and clubs across Medway helped us to identify him as a possible suspect.  I would like to thank the victims and witnesses for their support in this case, as without their help we would not have been able to secure this conviction.  Kent police will not tolerate people intent on causing violence in Medway and they will be arrested and brought before the courts.

‘Shearer’s mindless actions have now landed him with a significant jail sentence.  We want people to come to Medway to enjoy the nightlife, but to do so responsibly.  Hopefully this will send a warning to others that trouble makers in Medway will be arrested and they could find themselves with a lengthy time in jail.’

In a separate case, Shearer was also jailed for one year for causing grievous bodily harm following an incident inside the Casino Rooms nightclub in Rochester on 10 October 2008.  A man from Strood was punched in the face in an unprovoked attack and suffered a broken jaw. 

In total Shearer was sentenced to three and a half years when he appeared at Maidstone Crown Court.