Angry Thomas Ludlow fractures man's jaw in row over girl: Court
Maidstone Crown Court,
where Ludlow's case is being heard
by Julia Roberts
A man was left “in agony” and needed a metal plate inserted
into his fractured jaw after being headbutted and punched, a court
heard.
Thomas Scully was allegedly attacked by James Ludlow as he
walked home from the Spyglass and Kettle pub in Wigmore in March
last year.
A jury at Maidstone Crown Court was told there was “a history”
between Mr Scully and the 22-year-old.
Two years previously Mr Scully had been in a relationship with a
woman called Marie Hart. But at the time of the alleged attack she
was dating Ludlow.
Prosecutor Trevor Wright said Mr Scully was at the junction with
Swain Road and Hoath Lane when he heard someone calling.
He looked around and, as the man got closer, saw it was Ludlow,
who commented on “apparent” contact between Mr Scully and Miss Hart
five months earlier.
The jury was told he then attacked Mr Scully. “He stepped
forward and headbutted him in the area of the right eye and punched
him to the left side of his jaw,” said the prosecutor.
Ludlow then got into the passenger seat of a waiting MG car and
was driven away.
Mr Scully returned to his friends in the pub and told them what
had happened. One telephoned Miss Hart, was given Ludlow’s number
and then called him.
“He was asked why it was he had hit Mr Scully, to which Ludlow
replied that Mr Scully had been sending texts to Miss Hart and he
always wanted to hit him,” added Mr Wright.
Ludlow, of Temeraire Manor, Brompton, denies inflicting grievous
bodily harm with intent.
Mr Scully told the court he was “in agony” when he awoke the
following morning. He said his jaw was swollen and he could not eat
properly.
However, it was another two days before he went to hospital and
X-rays revealed a fracture to either side of his jaw.
“I thought it was just swollen and it would go down,” explained
Mr Scully. “But when I tried eating my jaw wouldn’t line up and it
just felt out of place. I couldn’t eat properly.”
Mr Scully was transferred to the Queen Victoria Hospital in East
Grinstead and underwent surgery to insert a metal plate.
“It was put into one side of my jaw but they left the other
because it was a small fracture and they said it would heal without
assistance,” he added.
Ludlow was arrested and claimed Mr Scully mouthed a derogatory
word at him as he and his friend drove past the junction.
He then told police that as he approached, Mr Scully swung a
punch, missed, and then swung again, giving him a fat lip.
“He said he retaliated in self-defence by punching him with a
clenched fist once in the face,” the prosecutor told the jury. “He
denied ever asaulting him with a headbutt...He insisted he had only
hit him once because Mr Scully had swung at him.”
However, Mr Scully denied during his evidence that he had done
or said anything to provoke the alleged attack.
The trial continues.
05/03/13
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