Neighbor Assaulted Over Barking Dog Complaint

Gloucester, England – The trio of suspects – Rhys Roberts, 20, Lewis Knight, 19, and Scott Fry, 21 – were arrested and charged for allegedly beating a 48-year-old neighbor who came knocking on their door back in April 2011.

Each one was given a year in jail for the attack after a recent hearing in the Gloucester Crown Court, reports the Glouchestercitizen.

The brutal assault on Michael Matthews was conducted with such ferocity that he required the surgical insertion of four metal facial plates, after he was left unconscious with a caved-in eye socket and two broken fingers.

The victim was ambushed and repeatedly kicked in the head after he visited his neighbors a few doors down and asked they keep their noisy dog quiet.

According to the Daily Mail, the animal had been barking incessantly for up to 12 hours on several occasions, prompting yet another request. Matthews had previously slipped notes under his neighbor’s door letting them know he was having issues sleeping because of the noise.

When he did make his request in person, Matthews was greeted at the door by Roberts, Knight, and Fry – all teenagers at the time – none of whom actually lived in the home, but were visiting. According to the victim, once he kindly implored they quiet down the canine, he left to return to his home. Thereafter the trio crept up, threw him to the ground, and proceeded to violently kick and punch him.

He roused, in pain and covered in blood.

Julie Tripcony, Matthew’s girlfriend who witnessed the ordeal and tried to intervene, assessed they’d struck him at least 30 times. The boys failed to show any remorse, contrition, or shame after.

Surgeons were able to reconstruct the carpenter’s face, as Matthews required metal plates in order to hold his face together, and had to have his nose wired to his cheekbone. Two years later, Matthews states he still experiences pain from his injuries, especially when the weather is cold. He’s had to take quite a bit of time off from work as a result.

Roberts was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm at trial earlier this year. Both Knight and Fry admitted the same charge after three trials in total.

[Image via Shutterstock]