A TRAVELLER who cracked a man’s skull and eye socket with a metal bar was ‘fortunate’ not to have been sent to jail said a senior Worcester judge.

John Pacer Smith received a suspended jail sentence for grievous bodily harm at Worcester Crown Court last Thursday and was cleared of an unrelated affray at the same court on Wednesday.

The prosecution offered no evidence on the affray and a not guilty verdict was entered on his behalf which the judge told him was ‘exactly the same as a verdict of not guilty from a jury.’

The ‘domestic’ affray was alleged to have happened in Canterbury Road, Ronkswood, Worcester on February 12 this year but no details of the incident were disclosed in open court.

Last week 30-year-old Pacer Smith and his brother-in-law Jim Riley Janes, 26, were both spared immediate jail sentences for inflicting grievous bodily harm after repeatedly bludgeoning John Mongan in the head and body with metal bars at a traveller site in Offerton Lane, Worcester.

They had originally been charged a more serious version of the charge but not guilty verdicts were returned and the lesser charge pursued after discussions behind the scenes between the various parties, including victim John Mongan.

The affray had been listed for a trial but Amanda O’Mara, prosecuting, offered no evidence after a witness expressed a reluctance to attend court. It was also revealed that the defendant’s partner had not given a statement to police.

Miss O’Mara described the affray as a ‘domestic incident’ but said the couple were ‘still together’ and had four children.

Judge Robert Juckes QC said: “All that remains is for me to enter a not guilty verdict which I do. Release him from the dock.

“I just express the earnest hope you will not breach the suspended sentence order, that we will not see you back in this court again.”

We reported last week how father-of-four Mr Mongan was discovered bloody and unconscious on the ground by his partner who rushed out of her caravan in an attempt to stop the beating.

Both Pacer Smith and Janes carried out the attack on Mr Mongan at Waterside Park in Offerton Lane on May 6 last year.

The victim was knocked unconscious, spent three days in hospital and suffered 15 injuries including a hairline fracture of the skull and a broken eye socket.

Judge Jim Tindal sentenced Pacer Smith to two years in prison suspended for two years and 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days. Pacer Smith had already served the equivalent of a 14 month sentence already after Judge Andrew Lockhart QC withdrew the defendant’s bail on May 15.

Judge Tindal sentenced Janes to 18 months in prison suspended for two years and placed him on an electronically tagged curfew for three months between 8pm and 5.30am daily. He must complete 150 hours of unpaid work and pay a £300 towards costs.