A 21-year-old man described by a judge as “fighting mad” when drunk has been jailed for two-and-a-half years after attacking a pub landlord and a police officer.
Martin Taylor, of Peel Park Terrace, Undercliffe, had pleaded guilty to affray and two counts of causing grievous bodily harm at the Robin Hood pub in Otley Road in June last year, Bradford Crown Court was told yesterday.
He had also admitted to causing actual bodily harm to a man outside the Green Man pub, also in Otley Road, while on bail for the first offences.
Prosecutor Stephanie Hancock told the court Taylor had become involved in a brawl at the Robin Hood pub, lashing out and throwing a bar stool and drinking glass.
He had threatened the landlord before leaving the premises but returned 30 minutes later, Miss Hancock said.
Taylor snatched a broom the landlord had been using to sweep up broken glass and attacked him with it, the court heard.
He was then handcuffed by a police officer, who had been called to the pub after the brawl, but lashed out and struck him above the eye with the handcuffs, Miss Hancock told the court. Both men needed hospital treatment for cuts to their faces.
Almost four weeks later he repeatedly punched and kicked Terry Atkinson as he left the Green Man, wrongly believing him to have hit his mother during the brawl at the Robin Hood.
In mitigation, Simon Kealey told the court Taylor’s behaviour was out of character and had been fuelled by drinking excessive alcohol, something he had sought help for while on remand in prison.
A letter of remorse handed to Judge Goss in court showed he had developed a more mature attitude, he said. Jailing Taylor for 30 months, Judge James Goss QC told him: “I am quite satisfied that you had acquired a serious drink problem and when in drink you literally became fighting mad.”
He added: “Each of these offences is so serious in itself that a fine alone or community sentence cannot be justified.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article