He and another man stormed into a hotel room and battered him before declaring “this is vengeance”, a court heard
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| Sarah Penhaligon |
A cheated bride who was dumped on her honeymoon has defended her dad after he took brutal revenge on his two-timing son-in-law.
Furious Stephen Thatcher, 51, and another man stormed into Philip Stow’s hotel room and battered him before declaring “this is vengeance”, a court heard.
Mr Stow’s new lover Stacey Edwards was in bed with the love rat and was also attacked by Thatcher when she tried to intervene.
But after her dad was locked up for a year, Sarah, 33, described him as a “very generous and kind-hearted man and a loving husband”.
She said: “He was very remorseful. He texted Philip the next day. It was very out of character for him.
“Philip has got justice but what justice have I got? I can’t get a divorce as it is still under a year since we got married.
"He was cheating on me. We were together four-and-a-half years.”
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| Sarah Penhaligon and Philip Stow in their wedding |
The court heard Thatcher treated Mr Stow “like a son”, forked out £10,500 for the wedding and proudly gave his daughter away on their big day in September
But Mr Stow, 27, told Sarah he was leaving her for another woman during a belated honeymoon in Mexico in January.
He ditched devastated Sarah as soon as they got home and moved into a hotel with Miss Edwards.
Enraged Thatcher and five pals tracked Mr Stow down to The Sutherland, in Newquay, Cornwall, after a drinking session in March.
Phillip Lee, prosecuting, said the gang arrived at the hotel bar and demanded access to the rooms.
He said the owner refused, but Thatcher and another man – whom he would not name – headed upstairs, marched into Mr Stow’s room and dragged him out in his underwear.
Mr Lee told the court: “They both struck him on a number of occasions, punching him to his head and body.”
The victim was left with broken teeth and cuts and bruises to his face, which needed hospital treatment.
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| Angry father-in-law |
Mr Stow received a text message from Thatcher the next day, which said: “We love you like a son.
“You have devastated our family but that is no excuse for what happened, sorry.”
Jason Beal, in mitigation, said the break-up had a devastating effect on Sarah, who took an overdose and ended up in hospital.
But Truro crown court Judge Christopher Harvey Clark QC told Thatcher the groom’s behaviour was no justification for “revenge”.
He said: “His mouth ended up a bloody mess. He had severe damage to his front teeth and from what I have heard, serious physiological consequences.
“It may be that you say he deserved it but not in a civilised society. You know perfectly well that you went beyond the pale.”
Thatcher, who owns a guest house and 20 rental properties, was jailed for a year after admitting assault causing actual bodily harm.
He was given a two-month concurrent sentence for attacking Miss Edwards.
The dad, of Newquay, must also pay Mr Stow £2,500 in compensation, £500 in prosecution costs and a £100 victim surcharge.
Meanwhile, Mr Stow has appealed for the public’s help to trace the second attacker.
He said: “It does feel that the severity of it has been smoothed over – they thought I might have had a skull fracture.
“I’m still going to counselling. It has changed my life – I don’t feel comfortable walking the streets.
“Anything that can be done must be done to find the other man.”
