A KIDDERMINSTER man who refused to attend Worcester Crown Court has been convicted in his absence of an attack on a woman outside a pub.

Terry Hodgkins, aged 38, of no fixed address, is currently serving a six-year sentence at Hewell prison, near Redditch, and was not present when his case was heard.

A jury of eight men and four women retired for only 10 minutes before returning a unanimous guilty verdict on a charge of causing grievous bodily harm to Sarah Brown.

The court heard that she was outside the Musketeer pub, in Kidderminster, on June 21 last year when she was pushed down a set of steps and broke her collarbone. The incident involving Hodgkins was captured on CCTV and the jury rejected a submission of self-defence.

Judge Toby Hooper QC advised the jury not to speculate on why Hodgkins had chosen not to attend the proceedings but only to reach a verdict on what they had heard in court.

Defence barrister Charles Hamer said he had tried to arrange an interview with Hodgkins who had been in an abnormal mental state. He had been physically violent and had damaged an interview room door.

Hodgkins, who had tried to hang himself in prison, was due for release in eight weeks. Mr Hamer requested a psychiatric report and this was agreed by the judge. He made a fresh remand in custody for Hodgkins with a sentencing hearing at Hereford Crown Court in the week beginning September 28.