A MAN has been left almost totally deaf after being beaten with a baseball bat in a midnight attack.

Victim Stephen German suffered severe injuries in a revenge attack after a 15 year-old boy, accompanied by his mother and another man, arrived at his home.

Twenty-six year-old Andrew Bell and 15 years Scott Grimes hit German with a baseball bat in retaliation for a previous incident.

German received heavy blows on the head from Bell and fell unconscious on the sofa while his partner and a friend watched in horror.

German is now totally deaf in one ear and partially deaf in another and doctors have told him he will probably lose his remaining hearing within two years. The court heard German cannot now work in the construction industry and has suffered frequent headaches since the attack in August 2001.

Bell, of Ena Crescent, Grimes, now aged 16, and his mother Linda Grimshaw, aged 37, both of Grosvenor Street, Leigh, appeared at Bolton Crown Court for sentence.

Bell was jailed for four and-a-half years for aggravated burglary at German's home in Leigh and Grimshaw was given a 12 month Community Rehabilitation Order with a proviso she attends the Think First course for women for a Public Order offence.

Scott Grimes was given a deferred sentence until November 29 after Judge William Morris heard he was doing well on a 12 week Learning Gateway course.

The court heard German was at home with his partner Elaine Collier and a friend David Farrer. Their four year-old daughter was asleep upstairs.

German was called outside by Grimes who then hit him with the baseball bat. Bell forced his way into the house and hit German in the head twice with the bat. It was accepted that Bell's blows caused German's serious injuries.

Hurled abuse

German was knocked unconscious and fell prostrate on the couch. Grimshaw hurled abuse and threatened Collier with violence.

German was kept in hospital for two days. As a result of his injuries he lost his job with a construction company and is finding it hard to get another job.

Initially Bell, Grimshaw and Grimes denied being involved claiming they were with others at Grimshaw's house on the night in question. Bell was later identified by three witnesses at an identification parade.

Bell had 10 previous convictions for 26 offences, including wounding, burglary, attempted robbery and damaging property.

Grimes had seven convictions for nine offences, including affray, assault and disorderly behaviour. Grimshaw had three previous convictions but none for violence.

The court was told that all three went to German's house in revenge for a previous incident earlier for which German had appeared in court.