Cowardly thug blindsided pedestrians with punches in Leeds city centre, putting two in hospital
A cowardly thug who began throwing punches at passers-by has been jailed after he broke a man’s jaw, leaving him needing surgery.
Drunken Hardeep Garcha later claimed he had been spike in Leeds city centre.
Footage of the sickening assaults from the evening of November 11, 2022, was played to Leeds Crown Court this week.
It showed Garcha with his girlfriend walking up to the first victim in the Lower Briggate area of the city and striking him to the head with a punch, causing the man to stumble.
Garcha then tried to hit him again but the victim was able to get away. He later needed treatment and stitches to his ear lobe, prosecutor Sam Ponniah said.
But seconds later Garcha approached a second man from behind who was wearing headphones and was minding his own business, “blindsiding” him with a punch that caused him to momentarily fall unconscious and stumble into barriers.
An off-duty nurse came to his rescue. The victim suffered chipped teeth and a broken jaw that required a metal plate to be inserted.
Garcha carried on towards Leeds Railway Station and tried to get through the barriers without a ticket. When stopped, he became irate and started calling the worker a terrorist.
He was arrested by British Transport Police. He later gave a no-comment interview but did say he was acting in self defence.
Appearing in court over a video link from HMP Leeds, he admitted GBH without intent, ABH and racially-aggravated behaviour. Garcha, of Blackberry Way, Bradford, has no previous convictions.
Little reference was made to the delay in bringing the matter to court, but it was mentioned that Garcha had left the country at some point before returning.
Mitigating, Marc Luxford said the 34-year-old was clearly unwell at the time, having thought his drink had been spiked with drugs or poison.
He said: “It’s quite clear these two [victims] are innocent individuals. He knew his actions were wrong evidenced by his guilty pleas.
“He has no previous convictions so I submit it is out of character.”
Judge Christopher Batty said there was still no explanation as to why he punched the two passing men, and pointed to Garcha’s refusal to speak with probation.
He gave Garcha a final chance to speak with them and adjourn sentencing until January, but Garcha told him: “I would rather just do my time.”
Jailing him for 23 months, Judge Batty told him: “There’s no doubt you have suffered with your mental health and it has caused you issues.
“You came across two men who were just walking, they say nothing and do nothing to you and you just punched them with real force.
“It’s not clear to me what’s behind this.”