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Two heroin addicts imprisoned and ferociously beat a man in his own flat as revenge after one of the defendants woke to find him trying to retrieve a Kinder egg full of drugs from her vagina.

Steven Brown, 40, and Jodine Harvey, 38, subjected Vincent Rutter to the terrifying ordeal over the course of 36 hours at his flat in the Park House tower block in St Austell in December last year.

Both Brown and Harvey stood trial earlier this summer accused of false imprisonment and grievous bodily harm with intent, but a jury was unable to reach a verdict.

On Monday (September 24) they had been due to be retried at Truro Crown Court but, following a period of discussion with their legal teams, Brown entered a guilty plea to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and Harvey to causing grievous bodily harm, which were deemed acceptable to the Crown Prosecution Service, sparing the need for a trial.

Judge Simon Carr said the case provided an insight into the murky world of criminality linked to Class A drug addiction.

Prosecuting barrister Joss Ticehurst explained to the assembled courtroom how 56-year-old Mr Rutter had lived in the Park House tower block for 12 years and that in the weeks leading up to the attack, his friend Paul Macmillan had become concerned that drug users were frequenting the flat.

Mr Ticehurst said: “Two of those users were Steven Brown and his girlfriend Jodine Harvey who were living there over the Christmas period.

“On December 29 CCTV footage showed Mr Rutter and Mr Macmillan parting company at 7.22pm and at that point Mr Rutter was fit and well.

“The footage then shows that Mr Rutter didn’t leave the flat until the early hours of December 31 when he appeared badly injured.

“Mr Rutter would later tell police that he had been beaten, punched and kicked by both the defendants when he was accused of stealing drugs. He was attacked in the living area, towards the hall and in the bathroom. He had his phone taken from him and was prevented from leaving.

“It was a sustained attack in various rooms over a period of time. Mr Rutter eventually made it out of the flat when the defendants were asleep.”

In total Mr Rutter suffered 17 fractured ribs, a punctured lung and a lacerated spleen, leaving him needing an operation and having to spend 19 days in hospital.

Mr Ticehurst concluded by saying that both Brown and Harvey have extensive criminal records.

Mitigating on behalf of Brown, Ed Bailey said that his criminal past was typical of someone who has to offend to fund their drug habit.

He said: “What sparked it off was Mr Rutter trying to extract drugs from Miss Harvey’s groin. Hearing her screams Mr Brown reacted in a way he considers completely inappropriate now he is sober.

“Mr Brown maintains Mr Rutter had some pre-existing injuries. He returned on the Friday from getting his methadone script wincing and wheezing with a cut on his lip.

“Had he been aware of the extent of Mr Rutter’s injuries he would have done something about it. He has been working in prison and achieved a number of NVQ qualifications.”

Defending Harvey, Deni Matthews said she had no intent of causing the type of injuries that followed.

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He said: “Her previous convictions are classic of someone with a long term addiction but she has made considerable progress in custody. She has a methadone script, has undergone therapy and completed certificates in education. She is very much a changed woman.”

Sentencing Brown and Harvey, Judge Simon Carr said: "I had the benefit of presiding over the first trial and over the four of five days of evidence, even a judge as experienced as I was reminded of the hopelessness and violence of Class A drug addiction.

“At the time all of you were heavily addicted to Class A drugs. Mr Rutter had a flat while neither of you had secure accommodation.

“During those days you all took an extraordinary amount of drugs. It may seem what I say criticises Mr Rutter but that is not my intention, it simply goes to show the levels to which one sinks when in addiction.

“You’d all gone to sleep having taken drugs for over 24 hours. You two were asleep on the chairs when Mr Rutter came in and tried to remove a Kinder egg of drugs you, Miss Harvey, had in your vagina. It was not a sexual act, just one of someone desperate to get their next fix.

“Miss Harvey you woke up to find a man with his fingers in your vagina and in the pitch black didn’t know it was Mr Rutter. Mr Brown you woke up and attacked the man and Mr Rutter was then the victim of a sustained beating for which there can be no excusing.

“All three of you then put this matter to one side and continued to take drugs and socialise with Mr Rutter having no idea how badly he was injured. It was a wholly unjustified, sustained and brutal attack.”

Judge Carr proceeded to jail Brown for three years and Harvey for 16 months. However, to the disgust of Mr Rutter’s family Judge Carr said that due to the time Harvey had already served on remand she would be released immediately.