Former cabbie chased pal around park and hit him with metal pole more than 15 times
A former cabbie chased his pal around a park and hit him with a metal pole more than 15 times when they arranged to meet for a fight.
Jason Dow and his victim had been friends for years but after an argument over the phone after a football match last September they agreed to meet at Crawcrook Park in Gateshead for a physical confrontation.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the other man turned up at the beauty spot carrying cycling gloves but Dow was armed with a metal pole.
After the violence that followed the victim ended up in a resuscitation bay at hospital with low heart rate and blood pressure as well as lacerations and fractures.
Prosecutor Estelle Chambers said: "The defendant arrived. He was holding a metal pole. He approached the complainant and said 'I'm going to f*** you up'."
The court heard the men exchanged words and Miss Chambers added: "The defendant hit him several times. He chased him around the park and the blows landed on his body, arms, legs and head."
Miss Chambers said the victim's injuries included lacerations to his head as well as swelling and fractures to his arms that were put in casts.
In an impact statement he said: "I really thought he wasn't going to stop hitting me and was going to kill me.”
The victim said he has been left with nightmares and "in hindsight" wishes he had not agreed to meet at the park.
When police searched Dow's home they found eight cannabis plants, which prosecutors accepted he was growing for his own use.
Dow, 58, of Chesters Gardens, Crawcrook, Gateshead, admitted causing grievous bodily harm and producing cannabis.Recorder Geraldine Kelly sentenced him to 14 months behind bars.
The recorder said: "It was an utterly disgraceful incident of violence in a public place.
"It is staggering that two grown men would agree to have a fight, let alone a fight in public and each bring weapons.
"You used that metal bar over 15 times that I could see landed.
"Both of you had the choice whether to go to the local park or just be grown ups and stay at home."
Recorder Kelly said because the victim agreed to attend for a fight he "contributed to his own misfortune."
Tom Doyle, defending, said Dow has a good employment record as a taxi driver, in a car dealership and as a roofer but then cared for his mother until she passed away.
Mr Doyle said Dow's father had also passed away, was devastated by the losses and believed on the day that the victim had made a comment about his late mother.