A violent offender has been locked up after brutally attacking a woman with a hammer and stealing her dog.
The victim was on her driveway in Bells Lane, Aspley, Nottingham, around 9.30pm on 1 October 2024 when she noticed two men wearing dark clothing and balaclavas.
One of the men was carrying a hammer and when he came through the front gate onto her property she tried to escape across the road.
She was struck to the head with the weapon and suffered repeated blows to the body after falling to the floor.
The woman was forced to crawl across the road until her partner was able to intervene.
At some point during the incident, the victim’s English bulldog, called Winnie, was stolen from the home and led away.
Julian Mead, aged 41, was identified as the attacker and arrested a short time later.
Investigations revealed he was known to the victim due to a previous disagreement.
Mead, of Welstead Avenue, Nottingham, was handed an extended jail sentence of 17 years when he appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday (26 June) for sentencing.
He was found guilty of committing grievous bodily harm with intent, possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and burglary following a trial at the same court in April.
The victim suffered a punctured lung, broken shoulder blade, fractured hand, broken ribs and teeth, as well as requiring stitches for numerous head wounds.
Detective Sergeant Paul Crofts, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“This was an isolated but extremely violent attack on a woman as she left her home.
“It appears Mead had a previous grievance against the victim and chose to turn up outside her home armed with a dangerous weapon, attack her and steal her pet dog.
“The victim was left with some very nasty injuries, and given the ferocity of the blows the outcome could have been even more serious.
“Despite attempts to trace Winnie, she has not been recovered so I’d urge anyone with information about her whereabouts to get in touch without delay.”
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