Stefan Ledden and George White were handed 10-year jail sentences for executing a brutal attack on an unnamed victim in Camborne, Cornwall, using a sledgehammer and screwdriver
Two men armed with a sledgehammer and screwdriver violently beat and stabbed at a terrified victim in a broad daylight surprise attack, a court has heard.
Stefan Ledden and George White have been handed 10-year prison sentences after they were found to have launched an attack on an unnamed victim as he visited a friend’s garden. The 32 and 26-year-old left their victim with extensive injuries, including a fractured skull, broken leg and multiple lacerations during the assault at a home in Camborne, Cornwall, while they visited a pal who “knew that the pair were dangerous” before fleeing on bicycles.
Cornwall Live reports that Truro Crown Court heard Ledden and White rounded on their victim on September 10, 2024, when they arrived at his location around 3.30pm armed with the heavy-duty tools.
Not long after the two arrived, a friend of the victim’s instructed him to “run”, but he was prevented from doing so and ordered to “get on the ground” by the pair. They then started a vicious, sustained attack, during which they were hit multiple times in the head and stabbed in the body with a bladed weapon, later revealed to be a screwdriver.
The screwdriver was used to stab him in the leg as he attempted to defend himself, the court heard, and he sustained defensive injuries while trying to protect himself.
Once they had completed their all-out assault, Ledden and White fled on bicycles, while a paramedic called to the address where the attack took place provided their victim with emergency treatment. They were both arrested soon after the incident, with Ledden arrested first that evening.
He had tried to escape on foot after he was spotted in a vehicle following the attack, but was quickly apprehended by officers from Devon and Cornwall Police.
White was arrested two days later after police carried out extensive CCTV enquiries. The two, of no fixed abode, were found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent by a jury following a trial. They each received 10-year prison sentences, and will serve an additional three years on extended licence on release.
Detective Constable Jamie Ellingham, who led the investigation, said said the attack was “unprovoked and horrific” adding they had “no regard for their actions”.
He said in a statement: “This was an unprovoked and horrific attack during daylight hours in a private garden. It’s clear that these men had no regard for their actions or the impact that this would have on the victim. I welcome this verdict and thank those who assisted with the investigation.”
Police Inspector Lou Brown, who leads Camborne’s neighbourhood policing team, praised the police work that led to Ledden and White’s arrests.
She said: “I hope this demonstrates the serious approach we take to identify, arrest and charge offenders who cause significant harm in our communities.”
