Hammer attack robbers are jailed

Reporter: by Janice Barker
Date online: 18 August 2009

Two men who barged into an Oldham home and hit the owner on the head with a hammer have been jailed for robbery.

James Colin Sneath, of no fixed address, and Liam Jamie Jones, of Shakespeare Road, Derker, were sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court, after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing.

Both aged 22, they went to their victim’s home in Cheltenham Street, Derker, shortly before 1am on January 9.

The 23-year-old man was asleep in the lounge when he was woken by tapping on the window, and saw two men he didn’t know.

They asked for a man by name and the victim told them he did not know what they were talking about.

Sneath, Jones and a third robber got him to open the door before one of the men pushed him to one side and barged into the house.

The victim followed the man to challenge him and the other two robbers also walked into the house.

The victim ran towards the door to try and summon help but was dragged back by the neck of his T-shirt.

He was hit on the head several times, punched in the back and sides and fell to the floor.

One of the robbers was carrying a metal hammer and hit him on the forehead while he was lying on the floor.

He was dragged into the kitchen where he was told that he would be stabbed if he called the police.

They stole a games console, a television and a mobile phone, leaving their victim with cuts to the head that needed gluing and stitching.

Police discovered some of the stolen goods at Jones’s house later that morning when they went to arrest him.

Sneath was jailed for two years and nine months yesterday and Jones was sentenced to five and a half years on Friday.

DC Simon Halliwell, of Oldham CID, said: “These thugs took this man by surprise in his own home after feigning looking for a friend, and gave him a shocking beating.

“The victim was lucky to come out of it needing only stitches — it could have been much worse.

“I am pleased to see that those responsible were caught quickly and have got what they deserved.”