Lowerhouses thugs given suspended sentence after attacking man

Nov 10 2009 by Joanne Douglas, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

THREE drunken thugs have been handed a suspended prison sentences after bringing violence to the streets.

Daniel Stephenson, Damian Randerson and Terry Moran and their friend Mathew Fisher, who was AWOL from the Army at the time, were involved in a fight outside McDonalds.

Victim Andrew Jagger, 25, was attacked by the gang following an earlier argument and left with facial injuries.

Yesterday, judge Jonathan Rose branded them “disgraceful and thuggish”.

CCTV footage of the early hours disturbance on November 16 last year was shown to the judge at Bradford Crown Court yesterday.

Prosecutor Dave Mackay described how Daniel Stephenson, 21, who was subject to an interim ASBO at the time, had been shouting abuse at a pub landlord and other customers a few hours before the attack on Mr Jagger.

The court heard that Stephenson then hit Mr Jagger in the face before kicking him in the stomach.

When the victim was on the ground three other men subjected him to kicks and punches.

The court heard that Mr Jagger lost consciousness in the attack and was later taken to hospital.

Soon afterwards, Damian Randerson – who was celebrating his 18th birthday – started another fight outside the Boy and Barrel pub where another man was kicked and punched on the ground.

Stephenson, of Fannymoor Close, Lowerhouses, told police after his arrest that he was pretty drunk and claimed that if he had been involved he would have been “splitting it up”.

Randerson, 18, of New Laithe Close, Lowerhouses, said he couldn’t remember much because he had been out celebrating with friends since 6pm.