Thugs who stormed hair salon with a hammer are spared jail

Mikkel Randell-Parchment, aged 21, felt he had been wronged by a woman who worked at Salon 529 in Walsall Road, Willenhall, and went there with 20-year-old James Higgins.

Randell-Parchment, of Coltham Road, Willenhall, urinated on the salon's window while Higgins, of Lime Avenue, Bentley, swung wildly at the owner with the hammer. The weapon was then used by Randell-Parchment to damage the salon's windows.

The pair were given 18-month jail sentences suspended for two years when they appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Tuesday. Both men pleaded guilty to one count of affray.

The court heard the terrifying attack came following a dispute between Randell-Parchment and the staff member and the pair had been banned from entering the salon.

Oliver Woolhouse, defending Randell-Parchment, said: "The difficulty with the young lady at the salon was that there was a quite serious allegation she had made against my client, which resulted in his arrest.

"He was interviewed, but no further action was taken and the allegation was found to be wholly unsubstantiated.

"That caused emotions to run high and caused a dispute between the salon owner who employed that lady and my defendant.

"I don't seek to excuse his conduct but it is against that context and his relative inmaturity and that he was struggling to deal with serious allegations.

"Since the incident there has been no repeat and things have calmed down."

The court heard the attack at around 4pm on New Year's Eve 2014 has had a lasting effect on the salon's owner. Phillip Brunt, prosecuting, said the owner was now 'looking over his shoulder'.

Recorder Michael Stephens, sentencing, said: "This took place at dusk to getting dark and I expect the salon owner was probably looking forward to a night celebrating the end of the year, as you should have been."

Andrew Tucker, defending Higgins, said his client's involvement was short lived, that he had limited previous convictions.

Both men were also ordered to do 200 hours' unpaid work, pay £250 compensation to the salon owner and £600 towards costs.