Lincolnshire Reporter

A Lincolnshire pilot had a miracle escape and was left 2cms shorter after the vintage fighter plane he was flying crash-landed in a field and slammed into a tree at 130mph.

Dave Unwin, who lives with his family in Grimsthorpe, near Bourne, was in the cockpit of a 1951 Hawker Sea Fury with fellow pilot Eskil Amdal when disaster struck on Tuesday, August 4.

The pair had taken off from Duxford airfield in Cambridgeshire that afternoon and had performed a string of rolls, loops and turns for a magazine feature.

But then the engine suddenly cut out leaving the pair plummeting towards the ground in the 69-year-old aircraft.

As the main pilot on the day, Eskil took control while Dave looked for a field for them to land in.

With no landing gear down, the Sea Fury – named ‘Invincible’ – plummeted out of the sky at 150mph.

It then raced across a field and smashed into a tree around five miles from Duxford.

Amazingly, both pilots survived with no major injuries.

Dave, 59, suffered three spinal fractures and a broken rib, as well as a “brilliant” array of cuts and bruises.

The father-of-two spent two days at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge before being allowed to return home. Eskil has also been discharged.

Dave, who has been flying for 35 years, said: “We should be dead; there’s no doubt in my mind, knowing what I do about flying and this particular aeroplane.”

There is an investigation currently underway into the cause of the fault with the Sea Fury.

The single-seater was a fighter-bomber that saw action in Korea with the Royal Navy. ‘Invincible’ – the plane flown by Eskil and Dave – is a two-seater, and was used for weapons training.

Dave added: “I’m also 2cm shorter than I was last Monday! I was 172cm and now I’m 170cm. I was wanting to lose some weight but now I’ve got to add some height as well!”

Four men from Grantham have been jailed for between 12 and 22 months each after multiple incidents of overnight violence on an evening rampage.

The prison sentences imposed at Lincoln Crown Court follow a series of incidents in the town starting on Guildhall Street and ending 90 minutes later in the Market Place in October 2018.

Three other people involved escaped immediate jail sentences. All seven admitted offences arising out of a number of different incidents of violence.

Mark Watson, prosecuting, said: “All of the defendants were involved in late night street violence going from Saturday, October 27, 2018 into the early hours of Sunday, October 28.

“The first violence was in Guildhall Street. Later violence took place in the Market Place. At the time both locations were extremely busy with Saturday night revellers.”

Mr Watson said the first violence took place when the victim Denver Moore was attacked outside Oscars Bar.

One of the defendant’s, Jack Gaskin, walked across the road, picked up a bottle off a table and beckoned Mr Moore over.

Gaskin then squared up to Mr Moore before Tyler Haynes punched Mr Moore to the head knocking him to the ground in what Mr Watson described as “a sucker punch.”

While Mr Moore was on the ground Gaskin threw the bottle at his head and Jake Deakin kicked him in the head before the victim managed to get inside the club.

Afterwards there was further violence outside The Bank pub during which the manager was punched in the face and Gaskin produced a police-style baton.

Later the violence moved on to the Market Place where Daniel Pattison carried out a series of assaults after first attacking a man who was coming out of the Late Lounge Bar.

Pattison, Deakin and others also went on to attack another victim who was knocked to the ground, kicked and punched.

Deakin repeatedly punched him to the head and he fell to the floor. Deakin kicked the victim while the man was the floor unconscious.

Deakin continued the attack with his partner Sian Lush, who had earlier tried to pull Deakin away, and Bellamy also becoming involved.

Pattison also assaulted a third man.

• Daniel Pattison, 26, of Welland Court, Grantham, admitted five charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was jailed for 22 months.
• Jake Deakin, 20, of Tyndall Road, Grantham, admitted affray and two charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was jailed for 18 months.
• Jack Gaskin,21 of Trent Road, Grantham, admitted affray, one charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon. He was jailed for 12 months.
• Tyler Haynes, 24, of Church Court, Grantham, admitted affray, two charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and a charge of common assault. He was jailed for 12 months.
• Sian Lush, 21, of New Beacon Road, Grantham, admitted one charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm Daniel Brown. She was given a nine month jail sentence suspended for two years with 150 hours of unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days. She was ordered to pay £200 compensation and £250 prosecution costs.
• Ashley Towning, 29, of Saltersford Grove, Grantham, admitted one charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and one charge of assault by beating. He was given a six month jail sentence suspended for 18 months with 150 hours of unpaid work. He was ordered to pay compensation of £350 and £250 prosecution costs.
• Luke Bellamy, 20, of Jubilee Avenue, Grantham, admitted one charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was given a community order with 150 hours of unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days. He was ordered to pay £200 compensation and £250 prosecution costs.

The case was split into four separate hearings as social distancing rules only allow for two defendants to be in the court dock at the same time.

Defence barristers urged that any jail sentences should be suspended as the offences occurred almost two years ago.

Judge Simon Hirst, passing sentence, said “This was a wholly disgraceful incident over a substantial period of time involving a large number of people.”