In a distressing incident at an Erdington home, Leon Townsend attacked his housemate Sean Kieran with a baseball bat. The courtroom heard Townsend’s remorse as he told Kieran, “I thought we were friends,” highlighting the unexpected betrayal. Despite the severity of the assault, Townsend was handed a suspended sentence at Birmingham Crown Court in 2024. The case has drawn attention to domestic disputes and the consequences of violent actions between acquaintances.