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A dangerous thug ordered a revenge attack on the man he had left for dead during a brutal assault in Thanet.
Ex-boxer Lee Cekic, 24, was facing a trial over the attack on Joe Bath – one that would eventually land him with a 15 year sentence.
But now it has been revealed that while he was on remand in HMS Elmley he sent a text to a pal from a mobile he had sneaked inside his cell.
It read: “I’m up in court on trial on May 20. Listen, I want that c*** hurt. Let some shots off at his window. I can get you a gun. Delete this text.”
Now Cekic, of George Hill Road, Broadstairs has been given a three-year jail sentence to run concurrently with his 10-year jail plus five-year extended licence sentence.
As he was led away, he smirked at two police officers who had successfully thwarted his attempt to pervert the course of justice.
Prosecutor Dominic Connolly told Canterbury Crown Court how officers had raided premises in Romford, Essex in May and found a phone belonging to Cekic’s pal, Lewis Pettit.
At the time Cekic, who admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice, was awaiting trial on causing grievous bodily harm with intent and falsely imprisoning Joe Bath, 25, who was his sister’s ex partner.
On April 26 he sent Pettit the text from his cell which was later searched and prison staff unearthed “ a tiny mobile phone”.
Pettit had replied: “I will try and stop him getting to court and obviously I am going to do him when I see him.”
John O’Higgins, defending told the court that the text messages had just been “bravado” but Judge Adele Williams retorted:
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“I am afraid that I take the contrary view. It’s not bravado it is an expression that this defendant thinks that he can get away with anything. That’s what this demonstrates.”
She added: “You were specifically saying that you wanted your victim hurt, you wanted shots fired at his window.
“The facts of this offence reinforces this court’s view you are a highly dangerous young man.
"You plainly have no remorse whatsoever for your crimes but that you would do everything in your power to exact revenge on your victim.”
Earlier this year, Cekic’s sister Jade, 22, of Vicarage Place, Margate, their parents publican Paula, 43, and Negovan Cekic , 52, both of Hastings Avenue, Margate had admitted perverting the course of justice and were each jailed for 21 months.
That had followed Lee’s attack on Jade’s ex-lover Joe Bath who had been left for dead after being beaten up.
A month before that attack, another brother, Danny had armed himself with a 10-inch kitchen knife after hearing how Mr Bath owed money to his parents.
“The facts of this offence reinforces this court’s view you are a highly dangerous young man" - Judge Adele Williams
He drove in his BMW to Waverely Road, Margate and threatened to kill Mr Bath – in front of other “entirely innocent” bystanders who were frightened by Cekic’s behaviour.
He was heard to shout: “I’m going to kill you” before Mr Bath ran away.
Detective Chief Inspector Paul Fotheringham, from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: "I’m very pleased with this sentence – it reflects the serious nature of the crime.
"Perverting the course of justice is a serious offence – this country prides itself on having an open, transparent and secure justice system where victims and witnesses of crime can give evidence without the fear of reprisals.
"Cekic planned to attack his victim – a man who he had already attacked before and put through a life-changing ordeal. But we take perverting the course of justice seriously and will pursue offenders in every possible way."
