A thug celebrated with his brother outside court after they both avoided jail for smashing up an ex-girlfriend’s beauty salon, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage. Lee Adshead, 31, had been in a relationship with the woman for around two years before things turned sour.
Following multiple arguments about her contact with an ex who was in prison, Lee Adshead and brother Anthony Adshead, 27, smashed 16 large windows of the business.
After a sentencing hearing at Manchester Crown Court, both brothers were handed suspended terms of imprisonment. Posting on Facebook a picture of the both of them on the court steps, Anthony Adshead wrote: “Guess who’s back ’cracking result today’ absolutely ‘smashing’ #nocompo”.
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Manchester Crown Court heard that arguments arose after Lee Adshead believed he was owed money after the woman had sold a motorhome for £60,000, as well as her contact with her former partner who was due for release from prison.
On November 17 last year, he smashed up her Land Rover and poured milkshake in the interior following a row about her ex. He later messaged her saying: “You won’t be able to drive your car home now.”
The next day he attended her business and went into her office before he began shouting at her and threatening her.
“He pushed his left fist into her left cheek and held her by the back of the neck. She was saying she was sorry and attempted to move away when he began pouring water over her,” prosecutor Hayley Bennett said.
“He pushed her and caused her to fall back. He continued threatening her, which was recorded by the complainant.”
In the recording, Lee Adshead could be heard saying ‘you are a dirty rat’, ‘you won’t live in peace, just you wait’.
Days later, on November 22, both Lee Adshead and his brother, Anthony Adshead, 27, turned up at the shop and smashed 16 large windows, with a hammer and a crow bar, the woman said. Anthony Adshead disputes using a weapon.
The woman had been sleeping in the shop at the time due to rumours that Lee Adshead was making threats to smash up the shop. He had also sent abusive messages to her daughter, it was said.
She had earlier been to his house, where he was living with his mum and brother, to confront him about the messages.
Following this, the two men smashed up the windows of the shop, causing £15,000 of damage. Lee Adshead could be heard by members of the public saying: “I will f****** kill you, think you are funny”, “you broke my heart, mate… I’m gonna kill you”.
Later that evening, he sent the woman a voice note saying: “You can’t do a thing. Don’t think you’re going to start making death threats. You are a little f****** rat b***h, can’t be loyal to anyone. You won’t do nothing.”
He then sent her a text which read: “Miss you so much. You are a smashing girl, such a cracking woman, I’m shattered without you.”
Both men were said to have previous convictions. Ms Bennett added that the damage to the shop was a ‘revenge attack’.
Mitigating for Lee Adshead, Simeon Evans said his client thought the relationship was good for a long time. He said his former partner had an ex-boyfriend who was in prison and due for release, and thought the woman was considering getting back together with him.
“He didn’t have experience to simply move on and a degree of resentment built up into an argument about that,” Mr Evans said.
“He accepts behaving in a way he never should have done, he never intended anything more sinister. There was a degree of back and forth with issuing threats.”
And for Anthony Adshead, Brendan O’Leary said: “He comes to be involved through a misguided sense of loyalty to his brother. In reality, he had nothing to do with this case.
“He made the foolish decision to go along in support of his brother because of what happened at their mother’s address when someone from the woman’s family attended.
“It wasn’t his issue and he shouldn’t have gotten involved.”
Sentencing them both, Judge Stephen Davies said: “I have read the victim personal statement, and it is clear, but not surprising, that all of this had an unpleasant impact on the complainant.
“The end of your relationship and the way you reacted to it does fall under domestic abuse.”
Lee Adshead, of Havana Close, pleaded guilty to criminal damage, harassment, sending a malicious communication and common assault. He was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment which was suspended for two years, along with 40 days of rehabilitation activity requirements, a requirement to complete the Building Better Relationships Programme and 240 hours unpaid work. He was also made the subject of a restraining order for three years.
His brother, Anthony, also of Havana Close, was handed three months imprisonment suspended for 12 months, 10 days of rehabilitation activity requirements and 80 hours unpaid work, after pleading guilty to criminal damage.
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