Two men who beat paedophile with baseball bat tell court justice has been done sundayworld/top-stories/crime-desk/courts/men-who-beat-paedophile-with-bat-tell-court-justice-has-been-done A man accused of a baseball bat attack on a convicted child rapist said justice has been done after a jury cleared him and his best friend of all charges. Michael Loughran, 30, and Karl John Carter, 27, asked for information on Facebook to track down the 18-year-old after he was released from prison having served half of a three-and-a-half year sentence. They told Teesside Crown Court in the UK that they simply meant to scare him when they found him at his home on June 28. They had offered a £1,000 reward for information. Mr Carter, of Jubilee Road, Eston, and Mr Loughran, of Ryhill Walk, Ormesby, denied wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and having an offensive weapon. A jury took less than an hour to clear the pair, who have spent five months on remand prior to the trial. A delighted Mr Carter said he was speechless and looking forward to seeing his two step-children and four children, who are between 15 and two. He said: Justice has been done. We are not having a party, Im just going home to spend the time with my partner and my kids. Thats all I want to do. It has been an absolute nightmare. If I could see all 12 members of the jury now, I would give them a big kiss. Mr Carter said if he and his best friend had been convicted they could have been handed a six year sentence, longer than the child rapists tariff. He said: It has been horrific. I have missed the kids birthdays, Halloween and Bonfire Night and I thought I was going to miss Christmas too. Im over the moon to be going home to see them now. His partner Carrie Smith said: I am still numb. Until I wake up in the morning and see him there I wont believe it. It has been the worst five months of our lives. During the trial, Mr Loughran admitted taking a swing with a baseball bat but said he was acting in self-defence. He said the bat had been in the alleged victims possession. The teenager suffered a cut to the head which required stapling. Mr Loughran said he was overwhelmed as he left court a free man. He told BBC Look North: Im the happiest man on earth. It has been agonising for the whole family. It will be nice get home in time for Christmas. Back at the family home, his partner Joanne Cubitt, 29, said: We were afraid we would not see this day. The couple, who have two boys and a girl, thanked the jury and the legal team. I never thought I would see the day, but I never thought I would see him in that position in the first place, she said. The friends were backed by wellwishers throughout the trial, many of whom wore t-shirts in support of the defendants. The not guilty verdicts were cheered and there was applause from the public gallery.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 15:38:10 +0000