Drunken thug broke housemate's jaw while he slept

A drunken thug who broke his housemate's jaw while he slept after him accusing of stealing booze, a court has heard.
Hoyland Road, where the incident took place.Hoyland Road, where the incident took place.
Hoyland Road, where the incident took place.

Ian Robert Taylor admitted causing grievous bodily harm for the sustained attack which initially took place in the shared kitchen and then after the victim had gone to sleep in his bedroom.

Taylor, 38, appeared at Leeds Crown Court where it was heard that the incident had taken place at a sheltered accommodation property on Hoyland Road in Kettlethorpe on July 7 last year.

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Outlining the case for the crown, Paul Nicholson said the victim, Andrew Green, has returned from the shop that evening with cider, and after entering the kitchen was accused of stealing the cider from one of Taylor's friends.

Taylor then lashed out and punched the victim to the face several times, but rather than retaliate, the victim went to his bedroom.

He fell asleep but was woken by Taylor who burst into the room 20 minutes later and began hitting him again. The victim was able to escape and went to a neighbour's house who called the police.

The victim went to Pinderfields where he was found to have two fractures to his jaw and had to undergo surgery to insert plates to hold the bone together.

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Taylor was arrested in the hours after the incident and admitted the attack.

In a victim impact statement read out by Mr Nicholson, he said that the victim continued to struggle to eat due to the pain in his jaw and found sleeping difficult because he has become fearful of being attacked.

The court was told that Taylor, the victim and another person lived in the house and all of them had drinking problems.

A probation report into Taylor said he had been an alcoholic for six years, but since the attack had moved away from the area, had stopped drinking and was working part time as a shop fitter.

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Mitigating, Craig Sutcliffe, said: "Much has changed in this man's life since the time of this offence.

"He apologies profusely for his conduct. He is genuinely sorry. He is making real efforts to get his life back on track."

Ordering Taylor to stand, Judge Mushtaq Khokhar said: "Whatever the argument might have been, here is a complainant in his own home, expecting to be safe from any risk of injury or attack.

"The complainant did not resist your attack and quite wisely removed himself from the kitchen to go to the bedroom and went to sleep.

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"You go upstairs in to his bedroom and attack him again. It was a serious injury he sustained.

"While I'm pleased to hear you have addressed your drinking problem and removed yourself from the influence of others who continue to drink, this offence is too serious for a non-custodial sentence."

Taylor, now c/o Kent Road, Bingley, was given nine months' jail.