A judge has jailed two men after watching shocking CCTV footage of early hours violence in Halifax town centre.
Huddersfield pair Michael Smith, 26, and 22-year-old Tony Cassidy were both given immediate prison terms for their part in the violent disorder in June last year.
Five other Huddersfield men and 20-year-old Bradford man Lewis O’Connor received suspended custodial sentences or community orders.
Judge Jonathan Rose told the eight defendants that people were entitled to go out for relaxation in towns and cities without thinking that at any moment a “bunch of thugs” will climb out of a minibus and take part in violence.
He told the defendants: “In sentencing for violent disorder and affray such as this the courts have regard, not to you who have drunk too much and punched and kicked and fought, but to the people in the public gallery, the people who were just trying to have an enjoyable evening before going back to their working lives again.”
Prosecutor David Hall told Bradford Crown Court yesterday that all the defendants, apart from O’Connor, had been about to leave the busy town centre area when fighting broke out.
During the violence four men were injured and some of them were rendered unconscious, but Mr Hall said none of them wanted to make a complaint to the police.
Judge Rose said the defendants had chosen to get involved and their guilty pleas to violent disorder or affray were an acceptance that they went beyond what was reasonable self defence.
The judge said the violence had involved punching and some kicking, but he had to sentence each defendant as an individual taking account of their role, their previous character and submissions made on their behalf.
Smith, of Longley Lane, Lowerhouses, was already subject to a suspended prison for assault at the time he became involved in the violent disorder.
Judge Rose said Smith, who admitted violent disorder, had been deaf to what he was told when he received the suspended sentence and he was jailed for a total of 18 months.
Cassidy, of Fair Lee Road, Taylor Hill, also admitted violent disorder and was jailed for 12 months.
The court heard he had a dreadful record and had kicked one of the men on the ground.
O’Connor, of North Cliffe Avenue, Thornton, Bradford, admitted violent disorder and the court heard that while on bail for that incident he punched Nathan License in the face during another incident in Halifax in September last year.
Mr License suffered a broken jaw in two places and O’Connor pleaded guilty to a charge of wounding.
Judge Rose decided O’Connor’s 17-month sentence in a young offenders institution could be suspended for two years.
He will have to do 150 hours unpaid work for the community and must pay Mr License £500 compensation.
Tre Miller, 20, Wakefield Road, Lepton, became involved in the violent disorder while he was already on bail for a road-rage assault on a 62-year-old male motorist.
Miller admitted both offences and his 18-month sentence in a young offenders institution was suspended for two years.
He will also have to do 250 hours unpaid work for the community.
Craig Gilroy, 28, of Hallcross Grove, Lowerhouses, admitted violent disorder and his nine-month prison term was suspended for two years.
He was also ordered to do 250 hours unpaid work.
Lee Carter, 27, of New Laithe Close, Lowerhouses, had a nine-month jail sentence for violent disorder suspended for two years and he must do 150 hours unpaid work.
Judge Rose also imposed an electronically-monitored night-time curfew on Carter for the next three months.
Two other men Anthony Doherty, 22, of Almondbury Bank, and Ashley Randle, 21, of New Laithe Road, Newsome, both admitted a lesser offence of affray.
They were both given 12-month community orders and told to do 159 hours unpaid work.
