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06
Jul
Pair sentenced after affray at Ripon pub
Two man have been sentenced after an attack on a man at a Ripon pub.
George Sweeney, 23, of Magdalens Close, Ripon, and Stephen Plaxton, 26, of Markington, both admitted affray at Harrogate Magistrates Court before appearing for separate sentencing hearings.
Sarah Tyrer, prosecuting, said the pair had been at the Unicorn Hotel in Ripon on the night of April 19, 2024, when the attack happened.
Ms Tyrer said the named victim had been out with friends when they decided to finish the evening at the pub on Market Place in the city.
At around 12.15am, the victim had gone upstairs to use the toilet when he said he saw some men “taking drugs”, the court heard.
Ms Tyrer said he returned to his friends downstairs where he said there were “some crackheads” in the toilets.
The court heard that a group of men on the next booth, which included Plaxton and Sweeney, overheard the remark and confronted the named victim.
At a hearing on Thursday (July 2), Ms Tyrer said:
It is this that starts things to come to a head. Mr Sweeney asks: ‘Are you calling me a crackhead?’
[Named victim] then says something to the affect of: ‘Yes, you’re all crackheads’.
Ms Tyrer said that the group, which included Sweeney and Plaxton, then became verbally aggressive toward the named victim and his friends and stood around their table.
The prosecutor said the man then stood up “in case he came to defend himself”.
Ms Tyrer said Plaxton then struck the man in the left eye and Sweeney “punched him to the back of the head” in an attack which involved around “eight males”.
She said:
The victim was left with a two inch wound to his head and blurred vision. He also had constant headaches.
Sweeney appeared for a sentencing hearing at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Thursday (July 2).
‘Little recollection’
Sean Wilson, defending, said the case had taken an “inordinate” length of time to come to court, which was no fault of the 23-year-old.
Mr Wilson added that Sweeney had “little recollection” of the night of the incident as he was drunk.
He said:
He was drinking more at the time than he does currently. He has taken steps by himself to manage his alcohol and considerably reduce his use.
He would like to apologise to the victim through me. He seriously regrets his actions on that day.
Magistrates sentenced Sweeney to a 16-week prison sentenced suspended for 12 months.
He was ordered to undertake 10 rehabilitation activity days and 140 hours unpaid work.
He was also ordered to pay £750 in compensation to the victim, £85 in court costs and a £104 victims’ surcharge.
Meanwhile, Plaxton, who appeared in court on June 19, was sentenced to a 12-month community order which included 15 rehabilitation activity days, an 80-day alcohol abstinence requirement and 90 hours of unpaid work.
He was also ordered to pay the victim £500 in compensation.
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