Twin brother and sister carried out brutal attack on man outside 24-hour Leeds shop
A twin brother and sister carried out a brutal assault on a man at a 24-hour shop, climbing into his car and trying to drag him out.
Kieran and Lauren Smith threw punches and tried to smash the window of the vehicle. The panic-stricken female driver tried to drive off to stop the attack but smashed into a waiting taxi.
It came minutes after Kieran Smith had fled from police who had asked him to pull over, which he ignored.
Kieran Smith was jailed for his role while his sister was given a suspended sentence - although the judge at Leeds Crown Court told her it was a “close-run thing”.
It was heard that plain-clothes police officers on duty in Leeds city centre had first spotted Kieran Smith driving a VW Scirocco along Vicar Lane at speed. It happened at around 12.45am on January 26.
He was seen to try to overtake a queue of traffic before pulling back inline. The officers approached and asked him to pull over, but he refused. An officer stood in front of the vehicle, but Smith revved his engine and inched towards her.
She finally stepped out of the vehicle’s way and Smith drove off at speed, running a red light and heading down Eastgate.
A short time later he crashed the hired VW into a rack of council rental bicycles on the roundabout on Scott Hall Road. Yards away, his sister Lauren was engaged in a fight outside the Vinus superstore.
Prosecutor Louise Pryke said she had got into an argument with others attending the 24-hour shop about how long it was taking for them to be served. Footage not played to the court showed Lauren Smith to be the aggressor, lashing out several times.
But as the victim got back into the passenger seat, Lauren and the arriving Kieran began trying to attack the man and the car, throwing punches. They hit the window to get at the man and Lauren climbed into the vehicle and was trying to drag him out.
The 31-year-old pair were soon arrested by arriving police officers. Kieran also failed a roadside alcohol breath test, blowing 42 mcgs in 100mls of breath. The legal limit is 35 mcgs. However, the charge was not pursued.
Kieran, of Scott Hall Avenue, Chapeltown, admitted charges of dangerous driving, failing to stop and affray. He has 15 previous convictions for 34 offences, including burglary for which he was out on licence at the time of his latest offending.
Having been taken back to prison, he appeared in court this week via video link from HMP Leeds.
Lauren, of Scott Hall Place, Chapeltown, admitted a charge of affray. She has six previous convictions for 11 offences, including for drugs, violence and racism.
Mitigating for Kieran, James Holding said he had not stopped for police because he received a call telling him his sister was being attacked. He said it was out of “pure loyalty” to his sister.
He said Kieran was annoyed for getting involved and had “genuine remorse”. He said he had been recalled to prison and will not be due for release until next year.
For Lauren, Lily Wildman said the mum-of-three felt “embarrassed and ashamed” for getting involved.
Judge Neil Clark jailed Kieran for 24 months and banned him from driving for five years. His latest sentence will run concurrently to his existing sentence.
Lauren was given nine months’ jail, suspended for two years, 180 hours of unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation days with probation.