Three men jailed over bin worker attacks

Three men have been jailed for two attacks on refuse workers in Stoke-on-Trent.

One bin worker was punched and a lorry was damaged with a metal pole during an attack at about 11:15 GMT on Fairhaven Grove, in Birches Head, on 21 March 2023, police said.

About half an hour later, three other refuse workers on Birches Head Road were attacked with tools including an axe, and a modified pistol was fired.

Joe Corden, Jack Spackman and Kyle Worthington were each given sentences of up to six and a half years at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Thursday.

All three of their attackers had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to a string of charges.

Corden, 29, was described by the judge as having played a "leading role" in the attacks, using an axe and a metal pole.

He was sentenced to 80 months in prison for two charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon in public.

Although Spackman, 21, did not take part in the physical attack on the workers, his actions still had a psychological affect on his victims, the judge said.

He was sentenced to four years and 10 months for conspiring to commit grievous bodily harm with intent and possessing an offensive weapon in public, among other charges.

Worthington, 21, admitted possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence as well as conspiring to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.

He was jailed for a total of six years.

Another attacker, who cannot be named due to his age, was sentenced at an earlier hearing to a three-year youth rehabilitation order on 30 June 2023.

Tracey Kirton, the wife of one of the injured bin workers, said their mental wellbeing had been affected and "they daren't go out they daren't do what they normally do".

She added: "As wives, as family members it's just been crushing, people get attacked doing their jobs, that for me is the most surreal bit, they were just doing their jobs that day."

In a victim impact statement read out in court, one of the victims said he had suffered two cuts to his head, a wound above his collarbone and a laceration to his left eye.

The man, who had 28 years' experience as a refuse collector, said he still suffered double vision and had been unable to return to work because of the trauma.

He said he just wanted "to be able to forget" the attack.

Another of the bin workers, who had 38 years of service, said he had been diagnosed with PTSD since the incident.

He said that on the day the sound of the gunshot had caused him to ask "is this the end".

Following the attack, he added that he had lost his love for motorbikes and cars, and had felt unable to go on holiday since or mix in large crowds.

"They need to learn this is wrong," he said. "Life shouldn't be like this."

A third man, who was driving one of the refuse lorries, said his nose remained misshapen following the attack and he sometimes still found it difficult to eat because of injuries to his jaw.

He said he also suffered headaches and tinnitus, and had trouble hearing.

Despite trying to return to work, he said he had been unable to due to suffering panic attacks.

"My wife, family and friends feel like they've lost the old me," he said.

Councillor Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said the attacks were "shocking and completely unprovoked".

"We hope today's sentencing will bring some comfort to the victims and their families and send a clear message: we will not tolerate violence or abuse against our staff in any circumstances," she said.

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