A STOURBRIDGE football manager has spoken of his relief after being cleared of attacking a property developer.

Tony Gore, joint manager of Dudley Sports FC in Brierley Hill, along with his 22-year-old son Mark, and Gavin Taylor, aged 31, had always denied assaulting Damian Lawson and causing him actual bodily harm in an incident dating back to May 7 2008.

And at Worcester Crown Court on Friday January 15 - Judge John Cavell directed not guilty verdicts should be returned against the three, after a jury failed to reach a verdict following a four-day trial.

Tony, of Dobbins Oak Road, son Mark, of Wychbury Road, and Gavin Taylor, of Hatfield Road, had been accused of attacking Mr Lawson on a building site in Worcester after he held back £4,000 on a £46,000 contract, claiming there were defects in the plasterwork and rendering.

The court heard Mr Lawson suffered a broken finger, gashed face and lumps on his head in a fracas after the defendants alleged they had been threatened with headbutts.

But after the jury of five women and seven men failed to reach a verdict after being out for five and a half hours - prosecutor Charles Hardy said he would not press for a retrial - and the judge bound over all three defendants in the sum of £250 to be of good behaviour for 12 months.

Tony, aged 47, and Mark, of Tony Gore & Sons Plasterers, then pleaded guilty to a charge of causing criminal damage to rendering and a light fitting at the Worcester property in London Road.

And they were each given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £200 each to the property company, Balanced Life, of Heath Farm Road, Stourbridge.

Tony, who has been in the building trade for 20 years, told the News afterwards: “We’re just relieved it’s all over.

“It’s been nearly two years - and of all the years I’ve been in this I’ve never had a problem like this before.

“But we had a fair hearing and the right verdict was announced in the end - so it gives you confidence in the judicial system.”