A ‘DANGEROUS’ Rugby man headbutted a pregnant woman who was trying to persuade him not to go through with a planned revenge mission, then attacked a friend with a brick when he tried to intervene.
David Henehan pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to charges of wounding, assault by beating and causing damage.
Henehan, 33, of Skiddaw, Rugby, was jailed for two-and-a-half years, of which he will have to serve at least two-thirds, with a two-year extended period on licence after his release.
Prosecutor Clare Evans said that on April 23 Henehan was out with a male friend when he was attacked, after which he said he wanted to go to Long Lawford because his attacker lived there near to his friend’s girlfriend.
They met her in Long Lawford, and she tried to persuade Henehan not to carry out a retaliatory attack.
An argument broke out, and Henehan headbutted the woman – who was five months pregnant – to the face, and punched her in the head.
Henehan’s friend intervened and pushed Henehan away, and began to scuffle.
She left and returned in her car to see the two men struggling on the floor, where the male victim says Henehan was trying to strangle him.
As Henehan walked towards her car holding two bricks, he turned and hit his friend to the head with one of them, and he fell to the ground where he was hit again with the bricks and kicked to the body.
The woman pulled Henehan off him, and as the couple got into her car and drove off, Henehan threw one of the bricks which caused some damage to the front nearside of the car.
Miss Evans said that as a result of the incident the male victim had a displaced fracture to his shoulder and a cut to his eyebrow which needed seven stitches.
But when Henehan was arrested, he claimed it had been his friend’s idea to seek revenge but had then changed his mind, by which time he had missed his last bus home, and they had had ‘a bit of a fight’.
He claimed his friend then left, but returned in the woman’s car and and attacked him – and he denied using a brick.
Nick Devine, defending, said that for an offence of wounding, the injuries were ‘relatively minor,’ and the male victim appeared to have made a full recovery.
But Judge Sarah Buckingham observed: “The fact is that, in drink, he repeatedly struck someone with a brick.”
Mr Devine said that although Henehan had a previous conviction for wounding or grievous bodily harm with intent, that had been 14 years ago, and his last conviction for violence had been for battery in 2014.
And he said there was a letter to the judge from Henehan in which he expressed his remorse and his desire to address his problem with alcohol.
Judge Buckingham told Henehan: “You headbutted (the female victim) and punched her. She was obviously pregnant, and you struck her.
“(The male victim) came over to push you away, and you ended up in a scuffle with him. When (the female victim) came back, she saw you with two bricks in your hands, and you struck him with a brick.
“When you were arrested you gave a lying account, because you sought to blame (your friend).
“I am satisfied you do present a significant risk of causing serious harm in the future. You are a dangerous offender.”
As a result of her ruling, Henehan will only be released before serving the whole of the prison term if the Parole Board considers it safe to do so, and will then be on licence, and at risk of being recalled to prison, for the rest of the period and for a further two years.
