A 53-year-old man from Southsea has been jailed for five years after being found guilty of a serious assault in Portsmouth last year.

On Saturday 6 April 2024 at 22:45pm officers were flagged down by a member of the public who had stumbled across a man with serious facial injuries on Cornwallis Crescent in Portsmouth. The person reporting was already on the phone to the ambulance service at the time. The 51-year-old man that had been assaulted had severe swelling and abrasions to his face, to the point where his pupils were not visible as there was so much swelling to the area around his eyes and cheeks. It was established the victim had been assaulted by another man in a nearby address and punched repeatedly and strangled with a dog collar. His attacker had threatened to “slit his throat if he called the police”. Subsequent enquiries led to 53-year-old Stephen Reed of Auckland Road East in Southsea being arrested and charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Reed was found guilty by a jury of the offence at a trail at Portsmouth Crown Court on Thursday 1 May 2025 and was sentenced at the same court on Friday 29 August.

The court heard the following from the victim: “This incident has really affected my mental health, causing it to deteriorate. My anxiety, depression and panic attacks have got worse. For example, I went out to the cash point yesterday and I had a panic attack. I was sweating and thinking in my head where is he? Who is going to attack me next? I am too scared to go out”.

Investigating officer DC Amy Thatcher said, “Reed’s actions have had a significant impact on his victim, who has now recovered from his injuries. This sentence sends a clear message to anyone involved in serious violence in Portsmouth that we will relentlessly pursue you to secure justice for your victims.

“I really do hope that this sentence helps the victim to be able to move on with his life safe in the knowledge that Reed is in prison and that justice has been served”.