Trio jailed over attack on shopper in Clayton-le-Moors (From This Is Lancashire)

Trio jailed over attack on shopper in Clayton-le-Moors

2:00pm Tuesday 9th October 2012 in News By Vanessa Cornall, Crime reporter

THREE men who brutally attacked a shopper after he refused to hand over cash outside a convenience store, have been jailed for 16 months.

Michael Diggin, 22, Arron Adam Melia-Eccles, 21, both of Whalley Road, Clayton-le-Moors, and Adam Wilkinson, 21, of Water Street, Accrington were found guilty at Burnley Crown Court of attacking a 30-year-old man.

Their victim Bryan Roberts, of Sydney Street, Accrington, was left with a catalogue of injuries inlcuding a broken collar bone, a laceration to the cheek, a bruised back and ribs, the prosecution said.

He had been shopping at his local Spar store, in Whalley Road, Clayton-le-Moors, when he was approached by one of the gang and asked for money, the court heard.

But when he refused and left the store he was punched to the ground by the men, in a ‘brutual’ attack.

A spokesman from Spar branch, in Whalley Road, Accrington said: “Mr Roberts is a regular customer and had been in shopping when the incident happned.

“I did not see it all unfold but what I saw on the CCTV I gave the police was brutual. The men attacked him and then they were fighting on the floor.”

The incident said to have been ‘unprovoked’ by the defence took place on November 20 last year shortly before 3pm.

The trio who denied the charges were each sentenced to 16 months in prison after being found guilty of wounding causing grievious bodily harm.