Middlesbrough man jailed for attempted murder of mother’s partner

Alex Ibbetson was heard saying ‘I have kicked this ***** head in’ after CCTV captured him repeatedly kicking and stamping on the head of the prone man.

The 34-year-old has a history of turning violent and aggressive when he needs money to pay for his drug addiction, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Michael Bunch, prosecuting, said the defendant was also heard shouting ‘you’re going to die – I am a maniac’ as people watched on in horror on Richmond Court, Middlesbrough.

He said: “The defendant kicks, stamps and back heels him to the head 20 times as the victim remains prone and motionless throughout.

“The defendant then moves away before returning and kicking and stamping on him again.”

The court heard how the victim, Brian Norlund, suffered significant head injuries and was placed in an induced coma for 20 days. He remains in hospital and is expected to suffer lifelong brain injuries.

In a powerful victim impact statement, his son Chris said the family had been left devastated by the horrendous injuries his father had suffered as a result of the brutal beating.

He said: “The physical injuries to the head and face were so bad that it looked like he had been hit by a car.

“He had multiple broken bones in his face and his head ballooned to twice the size and he was completely unrecognisable.”

Ibbetson, of Cedarwood Glade, Stainton, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to attempted murder following the brutal attack on October 2 last year.

Paul Abrahams, mitigating, said his client accepts that he had become enraged when he was refused money by his mother’s partner and never set off with the intent to kill anyone.

“He has lost control,” he said. “We can see that from the brutal footage and could very well be from the enragement of being rebuffed rather than motivated financially.”

Judge Jonathan Carroll sentenced Ibbetson to 24 years in custody with an extended five years on licence for the brutal and sadistic attack.

“You have a very long history of drug abuse,” he said. “You have seen your family as a source of easy money to fund that addiction.

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“Over a 15 year period, you have resorted to threats, bullying and violence against family members when they have resisted your demands.”

He added: “The attack was mostly caught on CCTV and was seven minutes long. The attack was sustained and extremely violent.

“Your intention was nothing less than to kill Brian. You were repeatedly issuing threats and saying you wanted him to die.

“The footage reveals the sustained and sadistic nature of Mr Ibbetson’s attempted murder of Mr Norlund.”