Drunken thug straddled woman on Leeds pavement and broke her nose

Alcoholic Kieran Dunne had been in a “casual relationship” with the woman and the pair had met up to drink on the streets, Leeds Crown Court heard.

He grabbed her by the throat and sat astride her before punching her to the face and mouth, breaking her nose. The 38-year-old was jailed this week for the bloody assault.

Prosecutor Jordan Millican said the pair had arranged to meet up on the morning of July 23 at Sainsbury’s in Yeadon, and they had a bottle of wine and a bottle of cider. They sat on the pavement on Warm Lane near to the junction of Gill Lane, but an argument began between the pair.

Dunne then grabbed her by the neck with both hands. She tried to fight back but he overpowered her, before punching her several times. She called out for help and a car stopped with the driver dialling 999. But Dunne then hurled the bottle at the vehicle causing ther driver to panic and drive off.

Luckily, the victim’s ex partner then drove by and stopped, so she quickly got up and jumped in his car. As well as the broken nose, the woman suffered cuts to her lips, nose and bruising to both arms.

Appearing in court from HMP Leeds, where he was being held on remand, Dunne admitted charges of strangulation, assaulting by beating and criminal damage. Dunne, of Greenlea Avenue, Yeadon, has 27 previous convictions for 47 offences, six for criminal damage and five for violence, including battery and assaults on emergency workers.

Mitigating, Martin Morrow said Dunne’s alcohol issues were a “depressing state of affairs”. He said he broke his sobriety, along with the woman and added: “What followed from that was a large amount of alcohol.

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“It’s very vague as far as he can recall, but when presented with the evidence he had the good sense to enter early guilty pleas. He accepts he was drunk and it’s an aggravating feature.

“He has expressed genuine remorse for his behaviour and through me wishes to echo that in open court. It’s something he bitterly regrets.”

He said Dunne claimed the woman provoked him about his capabilities about his parenting skills for his 12-year-old son, for whom he was primary carer.

Judge Christopher Batty told Dunne: “Let’s be right about it, alcohol is not the problem, your behaviour is the problem and you can control your behaviour. Your lack of self control has meant that on many occasions in the past you have resorted to violence.

“This is far too serious to allow the sentence to be suspended.” He jailed him for 16 months.