Two armed intruders wearing their dressing gowns turned up at the hostel home of a teenager who they had a connection with through drugs, a court heard. Former CPS worker Suzana Palmer and her boyfriend, Luke Chapman, were captured on "disturbing" CCTV going into the victim's home in the dead of night.
Chapman forced his way in with a wrench, followed by Palmer, with a baseball bat, on May 31, 2021. They struck in Brand Lane, Sutton-in-Ashfield. Chapman, wearing a grey gown, assaulted the resident as he went to the front door. Palmer, in her fluffy pink hooded dressing gown, disappeared upstairs.
The victim went through into the kitchen but then, with a knife in his hand, managed to chase Chapman. There was a struggle between the pair in the living room. A hooded Palmer appeared, after helping herself to the victim's rucksack and coat, and hit the victim, who was 17 years old, at least 29 times with the wooden bat.
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The pair of drug addicts left in a car. The victim had a gash to his forehead and cuts to his right hand as well as marks and bruising on his torso and a gash on the back of his head. A victim impact statement, read out at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday, March 25, revealed how it had mentally and psychologically affected him, and he had lost his confidence.
Chapman, 32, has previous convictions for assault, a series of robberies, unlawful wounding and common assault. He was sentenced for aggravated burglary with the intention of inflicting grievous bodily harm with a wrench.
After pleading guilty, Judge James Samspon said Chapman is dangerous and his violent offending is escalating. Chapman was sent to prison for six years and eight months. He received a four-year period on extended licence on his release.
Emma Coverley, representing him, said Chapman and his partner committed the burglary in their dressing gowns to get drugs. There was an issue with an item which had been left at the address to buy more drugs. It was not returned.
"This has literally exploded at the doorstep," she said of the incident. "He went in with the wrench."
Palmer, 37, whose address with Chapman was Stevenson Crescent, Sutton-in-Ashfield, was given six years in prison. She admitted aggravated burglary with intent to steal and assault, causing bodily harm.
Lauren Fisher, mitigating for her, said: "She described herself as disgusted in herself".
Judge Sampson said the offences were almost fully captured on CCTV, and, "the CCTV is quite disturbing."
Detective Sergeant Gary Hewson, of Nottinghamshire Police, had said: “We believe this was a self-contained incident among people who were known to each other. This level of violence and intrusion is completely unacceptable".
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