Leeds stab victim collapsed in McDonald's as knifeman threatened couple, Leeds Crown Court told

Rio Crooks' victim was bleeding heavily and limped into McDonald's on Briggate where he collapsed on the floor, Leeds Crown Court heard.

Crooks then pulled his flick knife out for a second time to threaten a terrified couple on Boar Lane.

Crooks, 21, admitted wounding with intent and threatening another with a knife at around 2.30am of August 20.

Imran Khan, prosecuting, said the victim was among a group of around five people on a night out in Leeds.

The group had left Bar Fibre and were heading to McDonald's.

Mr Khan said Crooks was having an altercation with a staff member at the door of a club when the stab victim asked him to "leave it alone and move on."

The court heard Crooks walked towards the victim and two other men were behind him when he ran away.

Mr Khan said: "As he ran he felt someone had tripped him up and that he had been stabbed.

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"He said he was all right for a couple of seconds, then he just dropped to the floor and he doesn't recall anything else until he was getting a CT scan.

"The victim limped into McDonalds where he collapsed on the floor."

Crooks and his friends loitered around outside McDonald's for a short time before walking off along Boar Lane.

Mr Khan said Crooks knocked into a woman and when her partner asked Crooks to watch where he was going Crooks pulled out the knife.

Mr Khan said Crooks said: "Do you want some? Do you want this?"

Police arrested Crooks after a short foot chase and recovered the knife.

The court heard the stab victim suffers from anxiety and can no longer play football.

The court heard he used to work weekends in the night time economy but has not done so since the attack.

The couple Crooks threatened have suffered from anxiety and the woman has not felt able to return to work.

Crooks, of Skerton Road, Manchester, has nine previous convictions for 17 offences including robbery and battery.

Eddison Flint, mitigating, said Crooks had bought the knife in Leeds before going out drinking.

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Mr Flint said Crooks' friend had been attacked by a man in the stab victim's group.

Mr Flint said Crooks, who was in care from the age of 15, felt "genuine remorse."

Jailing Crooks for five years, Judge Christopher Batty told him: "You went out armed with a lethal weapon, a flick knife.

"You were all too happy to brandish that knife but also hell bent on revenge for what had happened to your friend.

"You chased him down and gratuitously stabbed him in the buttock with that flick knife."

After the sentencing hearing, Detective Inspector James Entwistle, of Leeds District CID, said: “The injuries that Crooks inflicted on the victim in this completely unprovoked attack could easily have had more serious consequences had he not received immediate first aid at the scene and emergency medical treatment at hospital.

“It is clear that Crooks is a cowardly individual prepared to carry a knife while out in the night-time economy and use extreme violence over any perceived slight against him.

“We hope the significant prison sentence he has been given will provide some reassurance to the victim and serve as a stark reminder to others of the serious criminal penalties that those who carry and use knives can expect to receive.”

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