Man 'lay in wait' for neighbour and broke his cheekbone in dispute over loud music in Leeds street

An angry neighbour 'lay in wait' and attacked the man who lived next door to him after a dispute over music being played loudly.
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Lee Detassi assaulted the victim outside his flat in Bramley after waiting for him to set off for work.

Leeds Crown Court heard Detassi carried out the attack on Langley Crescent at 6.15am on February 13 this year.

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The court heard Detassi had previously confronted the neighbour about him playing music loudly on a morning before leaving his flat to go to work.

Langley Crescent, BramleyLangley Crescent, Bramley
Langley Crescent, Bramley

The victim was struck to the side of the head with such force that it knocked him to the ground.

Detassi then said to his neighbour: "You better watch yourself."

The victim felt dizzy and in pain and went back into his flat to call an ambulance.

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He was taken to hospital where he had to undergo surgery to a broken cheek bone.

Detassi was arrested and denied hitting the victim, claiming he had fallen to the floor.

The defendant accepted they had had a verbal confrontation over noise.

Detassi, 35, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

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Anastasis Tasou, mitigating, said Detassi lived with his mother and rarely left his home.

He said: "He is a taciturn and very solitary individual.

"He could go weeks without leaving his mother's flat.

"He has very few social interactions with anyone.

"All this arose out of an argument."

The barrister continued:"He had had enough and he went out and punched him once."

Mr Tasou said Detassi had been in custody for five months since the incident.

Detassi was given a 14-month sentence.

Judge Andrew Stubbs QC said: "You have a problem dealing with people you fall out with.

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"Unfortunately you fell out with your neighbour on this occasion because you thought he was playing his music too loudly on a morning and laid in wait for him.

"You smashed him so hard in the face with your fist that you smashed his cheekbone.

"It seems to me that you acted with a significant degree of premediation."