Two middle-aged men were jailed today for a vicious attack on an innocent man who suffered a broken eye socket which required facial-reconstruction surgery.
Gavin Hewson, 45, and Charles Neate, 55, punched the victim repeatedly at a block of flats in Ripon which left him “covered in blood”, York Crown Court heard.
They were arrested and charged with causing grievous bodily harm but denied the offences. However, a jury found them guilty following a trial in November.
Prosecutor Nicola Hoskins said the two men went to the apartment block in St Marygate apparently looking to “sort out” another man but ended up attacking his neighbour, who was named in court.
The victim had been watching TV with his partner when they heard someone shouting the name of their neighbour who lived in the opposite flat.
When he went outside to ask them to be quiet and go away, he was attacked by the two men, resulting in a fractured eye socket, swollen eyes and a suspected broken nose.
His partner called police as other people outside flagged down a passing police car and alerted officers to the attack.
York Crown Court
Two officers followed a “trail of blood” from the apartment block’s communal door to the victim’s flat and advised him to seek medical attention.
He was treated at Harrogate District Hospital and kept in overnight due to the extent of his injuries. He later had facial-reconstruction surgery.
Hewson and Neate claimed they weren’t even at the apartment block but were found guilty as charged. They appeared for sentence today.
Ripon man had 13 previous convictions
Ms Hoskins described the attack, which occurred on August 2, 2020, as “prolonged and persistent”.
Hewson, of Maple Walk, Ripon, had 13 previous convictions for 20 offences including battery, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and disorderly behaviour.
Neate, of Aysgarth Walk, Richmond Hill, Leeds, had 110 offences on his record including many for serious violence and previous convictions for assault with intention to rob, public disorder, affray and carrying a blade.
David McGonigal, for Hewson, said the father-of-two had a well-paid job but accepted he had a problem with drink-related violence.
He said Hewson could lose his job and his home if he were jailed.
Robert Mochrie, for Neate, said his client had been struggling with his mental health for years following a family tragedy.
But judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, said the attack at the apartment block was “far too serious” for anything other than an immediate jail sentence.
He told the defendants:
“Both of you have had serious tragedies in your lives and they were deeply unpleasant…but think about all the unpleasantness, the upset, the fear, that you have caused in your lives to other people.
“And on this night, I’m quite satisfied that the pair of you were going to these flats in order to sort somebody out.
“You weren’t after this (victim)…but it turned nasty very quickly upon your unfortunate victim who had nothing to do with you and came out simply to ask you to be quiet…and both of you set about him.
“You beat up a purely innocent man just for the hell of it.”
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He told Neate:
“It is right to say that your offending was tailing off somewhat…but back it’s come with a vengeance.”
Jailing him for three years, the judge described Neate as a “very violent man indeed”.
Hewson was jailed for two-and-a-half years because his track record for violence wasn’t as bad as Neate’s.
Both men were also given a five-year restraining order, banning them from contacting the victim and his partner and going to St Marysgate in Ripon.
Man, 23, suffers serious facial injuries in RiponA 22-year-old man has been arrested following a disturbance on Ripon’s Finkle Street.
Police were called to the incident at 2.40am in the early hours of Saturday.
The victim, a 23-year-old man was found with serious facial injuries and taken to hospital for treatment.
The 22-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of wounding with intent, he has been released on conditional bail to allow for further enquiries to be carried out.
Crime scene investigators were summoned and a scene guard was put in place to allow officers to retrieve any evidence from the scene of the incident.
Crime scene investigators at the site on Saturday.
North Yorkshire Police is urging anyone who witnessed the incident but has not yet spoken to police to get in touch on 101. The incident number is 12220200870.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Police plea to Ripon parents after anti-social behaviour complaints
North Yorkshire Police issued a plea to parents tonight to keep an eye on their children after receiving complaints of anti-social behaviour in Ripon.
In a statement on social media, the force asked parents if they knew where their children were and what they were doing.
It added:
“We are getting calls of anti-social behaviour in Ripon city centre.
“This is in the form of large groups being disrespectful to members of the public.
“Ripon police are out and about but as you can imagine we cannot be everywhere at once.”
The post then urged parents to “get in touch with your children and help us by knowing where they are and what they are doing”.
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Prolific offender jailed for threatening man with knife in Ripon
A prolific offender who threatened people with a knife and tried to stab a man in Ripon with an eight-inch blade has been jailed for two years.
Christopher Dalton, 39, brandished the blade at an address in Ripon, where his former partner and others were terrorised by the knife-wielding thug who was waving the blade around while shouting threats, York Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Rob Galley said that on the night before the incident, Dalton had been sending threatening Facebook messages to a named man who he believed was in a relationship with his ex-partner.
Dalton had messaged him asking to meet up for a fight, telling him:
“About time we had it out. I’m going to do you with a knife.”
The following day, he went to the address in Cedar Close armed with the eight-inch blade.
He jumped off his bike outside the property, then pulled out the knife and shouted:
“Come on, let’s have it out!”
Bear hug restraint
He then walked up to his former partner, who was outside the property, and pointed the knife at her, before “waving it around in front of her face”.
He then shouted abuse at the woman and told her “I’ll fxxxxxx kill you”.
Read more:
Her male friend or partner, who went to her aid, was said to be in “genuine fear for his life”.
As one of the other named men at the scene tried to put him in a bear hug, Dalton tried to stab him.
He and three of the other people present managed to restrain Dalton, who was “flinging his arms around, with the knife (pointed) towards them”, said Mr Galley.
Police turned up but Dalton, who was drunk and on drugs, continued swearing and shouting threats. As he was cuffed and led away by police, he shouted to two of the named males:
“You’re fxxxxxx dead.”
He then turned to his former partner and shouted:
“I’ll smash your mum’s house.”
51 previous convictions
He was charged with affray, carrying an offensive weapon and sending threatening messages intending to cause stress or anxiety to the male victim.
Dalton, of Westgate, Ripon, admitted all three offences and appeared for sentence via video link today (Monday, May 16) after being remanded in custody.
York Crown Court.
Ismael Uddin, mitigating, said Dalton had been drinking and taking drugs when he sent the threatening Facebook messages the night before the incident on April 18.
He said the “catalyst” for Dalton’s shocking behaviour was that he thought his former partner was in a relationship with this man.
Mr Galley said Dalton had 51 previous convictions for 88 offences dating back more than 20 years, including violence, theft and public disorder.
His “appalling” record also included two previous convictions for carrying an offensive weapon in public, ostensibly golf clubs. He was recently given a short prison sentence for a series of shop thefts in Ripon.
Judge Nicholas Lavender QC told Dalton:
“You intended to cause fear of serious violence and you caused serious fear. You were carrying a knife and came close to stabbing someone with it.
“Your offending is so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence can be justified.”
Jailing Dalton for two years, Mr Lavender QC said he presented “a danger to others”.
Dalton was also handed a five-year restraining order banning him from contacting the male victim and going within 100 metres of an address in Ripon.
Police launch crackdown on underage drinking in RiponPolice are to lead a crackdown on underage drinking in Ripon in the latest attempt to tackle the city’s long-running problem with crime and antisocial behaviour.
North Yorkshire Police said today Ripon has joined 240 locations in the country designated as a Community Alcohol Partnerships area.
These partnerships see police work with retailers, schools, neighbourhood groups, Trading Standards, local authorities and other emergency and health services to reduce alcohol problems.
As part of the initiative, retailers will be assessed by Trading Standards and police to check they are not selling alcohol to children.
Intervention work to prevent under-18s drinking will also be carried out.
According to North Yorkshire Police, the partnerships have led to a 61% reduction in weekly drinking by teenagers, a 50% drop in young people hanging round shops and asking adults to buy alcohol, and a 42% decline in anti-social behaviour involving drink.
Ripon Community Alcohol Partnership will officially launch on Wednesday next week.
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PCSO Helenor Gwatkin, who is leading the launch for North Yorkshire Police, said:
“We’re listening to residents’ concerns about antisocial behaviour in Ripon and we’re addressing them in several ways.
“Our targeted patrols are one part of the solution, but the community alcohol partnership allows us to focus on prevention and early intervention. This stops issues from arising, reduces offences and helps educate young people to make better choices.
“Community alcohol partnerships have been very well supported in other parts of North Yorkshire and I am confident the initiative in Ripon will be just as well received.”
Alcohol education
Police, youth services and other local organisations will provide alcohol-free activities for young people and work with schools to take a proactive approach to alcohol education.
Kate Winstanley, director of Community Alcohol Partnerships, said:
Vandals daub swastika and ‘IRA’ on Ripon grave“I am delighted to see the launch of a CAP in Ripon. Underage drinking is associated with school and educational problems, unprotected sex, drug-taking, violence and drinking problems in later life.
“In just over a decade CAP has set up more than 240 partnerships around the UK and our evaluations show they are having a significant impact on reducing children’s alcohol consumption, improving their health and wellbeing and enhancing the communities where they live.”
Vandals have drawn a swastika, ‘Z’ and ‘IRA’ on the front and back of a gravestone in Ripon Cemetery.
North Yorkshire Police said today the attack was particularly shocking for Ripon’s military personnel.
It added it will be stepping-up patrols in the Ripon area “to prevent further incidents of this nature”. The cemetery is based on Kirby Road, close to Ripon Grammar School.
‘Z’ has appeared on the side of some Russian military vehicles in Ukraine.
Inspector Alex Langley, from the Ripon neighbourhood policing team said:
“Members of the public are quite rightly shocked by these instances of vandalism. This is particularly upsetting for the large military community that we have in Ripon.
“Incidents of this nature will not be tolerated, and I would urge anyone who has any information to contact us “.
Police urge anyone with information to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Katie Bell. Alternatively you can email katie.bell@northyorkshire.police.uk
Quote reference number 12220048095.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.