Carl Nevins jailed for Centenary Square, Bradford, attack

Bradford Crown Court heard that Carl Nevins, 38, of Welbeck Rise, Bradford, was under the influence of cocaine when he made the “baseless allegation” against his 62-year-old victim on a sunny summer day almost exactly three years ago.

Prosecutor Richard Walters said the attack happened on July 17, 2021, after the victim had listened to people make speeches in Centenary Square before visiting a café.

He returned to the square and was taking photographs of flowers with a disposable camera when Nevins approached him, told him not to take pictures of children, grabbed the camera from him, and then punched him to the ground with a single blow to the face in an unprovoked attack.

His victim, concerned that matters might escalate even further, decided to remain lying on the ground. Nevins left the scene.

The distressed victim managed to sit on a bench and was helped by a Police Community Support Officer and passers-by, who pointed out Nevins as he ran off.

The victim was taken by ambulance to Bradford Royal Infirmary where he was found to have a 3cm wound to his right eye.

Bradford Royal Infirmary (Image: Newsquest)

A CT scan revealed he had suffered a complex fracture to his right eye socket, upper jaw, and cheekbone.

Nevins was identified from CCTV footage. When he was arrested on November 3, 2021, he had a bag of crack cocaine on him.

He initially denied the attack and said it was not him on the CCTV footage. He later pleaded guilty in advance of a trial to S20 wounding/inflicting grievous bodily harm and possession of a Class A drug.

The court heard that he had a lengthy list of previous offences dating back to 2002 including battery, harassment, assault, threatening behaviour, theft, criminal damage, and being drunk and disorderly.

Mitigating, Lauren Smith said Nevins accepted full responsibility for the short-lived attack, recognised that there were no excuses, and apologised via her to the court for his behaviour, which had happened “in the heat of the moment".

She said the incident had arisen as a result of Nevins’ substance misuse, as a traumatic childhood and adult life had led him to self-medicate with drink and drugs.

Sentencing Nevins, who appeared via video link from HMP Leeds, Mr Recorder David Gordon said the incident was not a “spur of the moment” action.

He said: “It’s clearly something that was troubling you in your addled state. You took the view that [the victim] was taking photographs of children. You approached him and punched him square in the face.

“This was a single blow, but it had an awful effect both medically and psychologically.

“Even a single blow is capable of causing the most awful and sometimes devastating injuries.

“The injuries were really serious with more than one fracture.

“This is a sentence than can not and will not be suspended.”

He jailed Nevins for 14 months for GBH plus a month to be served concurrently for possession of cocaine.

He ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs seized.