Jail Sentences Handed Down for Men Who Threw Disabled Man Off Bridge

Wesley Tucker, 44, and Daniel Stamp, 32, have received prison sentences after throwing a disabled man from a bridge into a river and reportedly laughing while he struggled. A judge described the incident in Truro, Cornwall, as a “brutal attack” and “an appalling act of violence which could have ended so much worse”. Tucker, a fire prevention worker from Truro, was found guilty by a jury at Truro Crown Court of causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, resulting in a six-year jail term. Stamp, whose address was given as HMP Exeter, pleaded guilty to causing GBH with intent and was sentenced to four years and six months in prison. During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Tucker and Stamp had been consuming alcohol when they engaged in a minor verbal altercation with the victim outside a Truro nightspot in July 2022. The dispute intensified, prompting the victim to walk away across a bridge that spanned a small tidal river, located 15ft (4.5m) below, which contains either water or rocks and stones. The two individuals then lifted the victim by his legs, flipping him over the bridge railings, causing him to land in 6ins (15cm) of water. Judge Simon Carr stated that a security guard rescued the victim by descending scaffolding and holding the injured man’s head above the water, while his assailants reportedly laughed. Police had previously indicated that the victim’s injuries were “quite significant” and had the potential to be even more severe “considering the mechanics of the attack.” The judge remarked that the defendants might have faced more serious charges, further stating: “This was a brutal attack on a completely innocent man.” He also noted that CCTV footage revealed the attack to be “inexplicable as it was chilling,” and he characterized it as “an appalling act of violence which could have ended so much worse.”