JAILED: Brothers beat father with baseball bats after 20 years of domestic violence
A mother's 20 years of suffering at the hands of her brutal partner ended when he was attacked by two of their children, a judge heard.
Benjamin and Isaac Baddeley struck after their childhood had been blighted by the sight of mother-of-four Teresa Dickens being beaten up by their father James Baddeley, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.
Her refusal to report the domestic violence left them feeling helpless. But they took the law into their own hands when she was assaulted on September 3 last year by the 50-year-old, who threatened to kill her in a call from a pub the next day, said Mrs Sati Ruck, prosecuting.
Miss Dickens left the couple’s home with her two youngest children and they all spent the night at the home of the older sons, who went to ‘confront’ their father the following morning.
They found him in the afternoon sitting outside McGhee’s Irish Bar in Wolverhampton city centre’s Wheelers Fold, where he had been drinking, and ran to him wielding baseball bats.
They rained blows down on him – one continuing with fists after his bat broke – for two minutes until fleeing after police were called.
The brothers were later arrested in Molineux Street after Benjamin phoned his mother to say: ‘You don’t have to worry any more’. Their father was taken to hospital with a broken wrist and arm, and also head injuries.
Miss Dickens broke her silence after the incident and made a statement to police detailing 20 years of pain and misery with her partner.
She told of having a pint glass hurled into her face, her nose being broken by a punch and several ribs being broken by a kick that could have caused life-threatening complications, Judge Nicholas Webb was told.
Mr Colin McCarraher, defending the brothers, said: “They had a horrible childhood seeing their mother used as a punch bag by their father.” The duo had also suffered physically as well as emotionally, the court heard.
James Baddeley pleaded with the judge to show mercy on his sons over their attack on him and explained: “I have no malice against them and will keep away from Teresa. I have got no qualms with them so be as lenient as possible with my lads.”
Judge Webb told him: "Life must have been terrible with you for over 20 years in that house. The damage you have done to your family must have been truly enormous and has had grave consequences for them and for you."
James Baddeley, from Myrtle Street, Parkfield pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to Miss Dickens and an unrelated charge of dangerous driving. He was jailed for six years three months.
His two sons, both of Warwick Street, East Park, each admitted causing grievous bodily harm to their father.
Mr McCarraher said: “Knowing there was nothing they could do legally because their mother would not make a complaint against him they made the terrible mistake of taking the law into their own hands.
“There was a genuine fear their father would kill their mother. They are sorry for what they did but I cannot say they are full of remorse.”
Judge Webb gave each brother a significantly reduced sentence of three and a half years because of the extreme provocation they had suffered.
He explained: "I accept you had seen your father beat up your mother many, many times but what you did was very, very wrong and I cannot totally overlook it."
Miss Dickens, who has now ended the relationship with her former partner, said: "As the boys got older they would challenge James and try to get him off me. They have protected me from him and now both are in prison because I did nothing. It breaks my heart."
