Leeds street drinker jailed for string of violent attacks, including city-centre assault from 14 years ago
A street drinker who robbed a mobile phone from his friend has been jailed for a string of offences, including a city-centre attack from 14 years ago.
William Joyce attacked the man during a drinking session in Cross Flatts Park in Beeston earlier this year.
But Leeds Crown Court heard that the 37-year-old had still not been dealt with for a violent incident in Manchester from 2010, when he punched a woman during a street fight.
He was handed a 30-month jail sentence this week.
Prosecutor Ayman Khokhar said that Joyce had attacked the woman in Manchester on the evening of July 20, 2010, when another woman attacked his sister. Joyce became involved and stamped on the victim several times.
It was caught on CCTV, and when police arrested Joyce he racially abused an officer. The court heard that the incident has “slipped through the net”.
On July 14 last year, Joyce was at his brother’s home in Beeston when the pair got into a fight after he refused to give Joyce any money. He punched the man and the pair grappled on the floor before their mother separated them.
Joyce then smashed window boxes before leaving the property.
Finally, on February 24 this year, Joyce was drinking with friends in Cross Flatts Park when he turned to one and asked him for money.
When the man said he had none, Joyce made him turn out his pockets to prove he had nothing. Joyce then punched him to the face and grabbed his iPhone from his hand.
He refused to give it back until the man gave him £10, which the man did not have. The man contacted the police and Joyce was arrested.
Joyce, of Woodview Terrace, Beeston, has four previous convictions for 16 offences. He admitted robbery, ABH, common assault and two counts of racially-aggravated harassment.
Mitigating, Philip Mahoney said that Joyce had spent years working as a labourer on building sites, but a brain injury in 2022 left him with epilepsy and unable to work.
He said that he moved to Leeds to live with his brother but began drinking heavily having previously got his addiction to booze under control. Joyce has been in custody for seven months.
Judge Alex Menary told him: “You have had problems with alcohol in the past but had conquered those demons. You sustained a brain injury and you have been unable to work. You slid back into drinking.”
He told him Joyce it had to be immediate custody.