Man who spent 11 years in Australian prison jailed for attack in Sparkhill

Maxwell Edwards has been jailed for launching a violent attack last year
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A Birmingham man who spent 11 years in prison in Australia has been jailed in the UK for attacking a vulnerable man and leaving him with head injuries.

Maxwell Edwards, 56, was living with three other people at a house in Eileen Road, Sparkhill when he launched a violent attack on his housemate on 30 March last year.

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He punched the man, aged 40, more than ten times until he passed out and then stamped on his throat as he lay unconscious on the floor. He walked him to a shed and stole his phone.

Edwards went back to the shed later on and attacked the man again, this time with a metal bar.

The man was left unconscious in the shed for more than seven hours in total, but eventually woke up and climbed out of a window.

He managed to make his way to his sister’s house and told her what happened before being taken to hospital.

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When detectives went to the address on Eileen Road they noticed blood on the drive and the shed door.

Edwards – who was employed as a handyman by the company which owned the house - was arrested at the scene.

String of armed robberies in Australia

While he was in custody police noticed he had an Australian accent, and urgent enquiries showed he had spent more than a decade in prison down under for a string of violent armed robberies.

After his release from prison in Australia he was ordered to return to the UK in February 2019. Just months later he ended up living at the address in Sparkhill.

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Sadly, the man he assaulted is unlikely to make a full recovery and is still affected by his injuries to this day, West Midlands Police said.

Edwards did eventually plead guilty to GBH, sparing his victim from the ordeal of a trial.

On Friday (14 January) he was jailed for four years and eight months at Birmingham Crown Court.

What was said following sentencing

DC Andrew Snowdon who led the investigation said: “This was a horrible, senseless and sustained attack and it’s clear that Edwards is an extremely violent and nasty individual.

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“When he was in custody, we knew something wasn’t right and thankfully support from our antipodean colleagues showed us the full extent of Edwards’ previous offending which help us put him back in jail quickly.

“I’m glad that he’s now back behind bars for a considerable period of time where he can’t harm anyone else.

“My thoughts remain with the victim and his family – I hope this result can bring them some closure.”

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