A thug punched and stamped on the head of a vulnerable man in a "revenge" attack that left him suffering with a brain injury.
Darren Yates drove up to the victim, who was sitting on a bench outside a chip shop in Seaham, on July 21 this year and launched a brutal attack that left him unconscious. Yates then "calmly" got back into his car and drove off as the victim was taken to hospital to be treated for his injuries.
Durham Crown Court heard the victim was a vulnerable man who had already sustained a brain injury as a result of a heart attack in 2019 and had suffered with short term memory loss and speech difficulties ever since. As Yates alleged the victim and two other men were responsible for attacking him in 2016, the court heart the attack Yates launched had a "hint of revenge" about it.
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Yates, 39, of Essex Crescent, Seaham, appeared at the court on Friday via link from HMP Durham to be sentenced for causing grievous bodily harm with intent. He had previously pleaded guilty to the charge.
Paul Rooney, prosecuting, said the victim's facial expressions are similar to that of Paralympian, Stephen Miller, when he speaks, and that it is "obvious he is vulnerable". He said: "The victim was sat on a bench near to the Seaham Chippy and the defendant was caught on CCTV buying food inside the shop. Upon leaving, the defendant gets in his car and drives away. As he does so, the victim is walking towards the bench. The defendant then drives around the block and pulls up next to the victim, exits his car, walks up to the victim, and without provocation begins punching him to the face and head."
The court heard Yates hit the man around "three or four times" before the victim fell to the ground. Mr Rooney said: "The defendant then stamps on the head of the victim once, possibly twice, before punching him again. At the time of the last blow, it would appear the victim was unconscious and defenceless."
Yates then "calmly" got back into his car and drove off, leaving the "unresponsive" victim lying on the ground. The man was then taken to hospital where it was found he suffered a brain injury, among other facial injuries. Yates was identified from CCTV and he was arrested later that same night at home. The court was told that in a pre-sentence report, Yates alleged that the victim and two other assailants had attacked him in 2016 and left him needing hospital treatment.
When the victim was interview by police, an intermediary had to be present due to his vulnerability and said he had little memory of the attack. In a statement, he said the incident had left him "scared to go outside on my own" and "finds if difficult to sleep".
Mr Rooney said Yates had 27 previous convictions for 57 offences, including robbery in 1996 when he was a youth and GBH in 2008 which involved him stabbing someone. He added that a report said Yates has a "history of serious, violent offending" and that the victim was well-known to him, meaning he was "aware of his vulnerabilities".
Michael Cahill, defending, said the main mitigating feature was his guilty plea, and said Yates "had sought to turn his life around before the matter". He said: "He has let down his family and his children and he knows he will have a significant period of time before he can try again when he returns to the community."
Sentencing Yates, Judge James Adkin said he carried out a "cowardly attack" against the victim in a "brutal fashion" which had a "hint of revenge". He added: "I have significant concerns about the circumstances of this offending when you were stone cold sober. Your impulsivity is a huge concern."
Judge Adkin passed a nine year extended determinate prison sentence, meaning Yates will serve six years in jail and three years on licence.
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