Boyfriend accused man of 'wanting compo' after knocking him unconscious outside Leeds Aldi

The 63-year-old victim was left with multiple fractures to his face after the vicious attack by Robert Jennings.

Leeds Crown Court heard that Jennings’ partner had been involved in the prang with the victim early evening on September 2 last year outside the Aldi supermarket on Tong Road, Wortley.

The woman and the victim both stopped, but both blamed each other for the accident. She then called the police, with the other driver encouraging her.

Jennings arrived in a white van a time later, having also been called by his partner. He got out and walked up to the victim and “without warning” struck him to the face once, knocking him unconscious, the court heard.

Jennings, who runs a flooring company, then left the scene before the police arrived, but a witness took a photo of his van and registration plate. The 36-year-old then returned and he was arrested by officers.

He told officers that his partner had called him saying she was “being intimidated” by the men in the other car. He then said the injured man was “only doing it for compo money”.

He also said it was more of a slap than a punch, but the man suffered fractures to his eye socket, cheek bone, sinus bone, nose, skull and swelling to his eye. He also had a laceration to the back of his head where it struck the pavement having been knocked unconscious.

During Jennings’ interview with police, he gave no comments. He later admitted GBH without intent. He has 11 previous convictions for 18 offences, including an assault from 2007.

A probation officer’s report into his behaviour found that his girlfriend was pregnant at the time and he arrived to protect her because she felt threatened. The officer said Jennings, of Whincover Drive, Farnley, was “deeply ashamed of his actions”.

Sign up for our free newsletters now

Mitigating on his behalf, Harry Crowson said: “He acted in a way that was utterly inappropriate.”

Judge Simon Batiste told Jennings: “I make no judgement as to who was in the right or wrong. It was a road traffic collision and for whatever reason you lost your temper in what was an unprovoked incident.

“The consequences of what you did were significant. He was knocked unconscious and suffered substantial facial injuries. I make it clear he was not doing it for ‘compo’ as you were to suggest.”

He gave Jennings eight months’ jail, suspended for 18 months, with five rehabilitation days and 120 hours of unpaid work.