Blake victim of own downfall say police
Shamed television presenter Ashley Blake was "the victim of his own downfall" according to police who investigated his assault on a teenager.
Shamed television presenter Ashley Blake was "the victim of his own downfall" according to police who investigated his assault on a teenager.
The former BBC Midlands Today newsreader was today spending his first full day in jail as he began a two-year sentence for unlawful wounding and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Blake, aged 40, was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday to two years by Judge Peter Carr for striking 17-year-old Greg Jones around the face with a patio umbrella pole, as well as six months to run concurrently for throwing the pole away to try and hide it from police.
It followed trouble at The Place 2B in Chester Road, Sutton Coldfield in the early hours of January 25 as customers left an 18th birthday party.
Co-accused Steven Sproule, aged 38, of Booths Farm Road, Great Barr, was jailed for 13 months after admitting actual bodily harm for punching teenager Adam Finn – an assault described by the judge as "the fuse that lit the blue touch paper" for the trouble that followed.
Sproule was in breach of a suspended sentence imposed the day before for an unrelated drink-driving offence.
Speaking after the sentencing, investigating officer DC David Bebb from Sutton Coldfield Police said: "We welcome the sentence today for the two defendants.
"It has been a difficult and complex investigation in terms of dealing with the attempts to pervert the course of justice.
"Greg Jones was a young man studying for his A-levels. He was a victim of an assault where everybody agrees he was a peacemaker. The scar will be with him for the rest of his life and he is also pleased with the verdict today.
"It is tragic for Mr Blake that he has lost his career and his livelihood, but I do have to say he has been the victim of his own downfall."
Blake was sacked by the BBC after eight years following his conviction.
It was a job which Blake's defence barrister Mr Nigel Rumfitt QC said meant everything to him.
"He had been at the BBC for the best part of 10 years. He was extremely successful and was going places and his career is now in tatters," said Mr Rumfitt.