Thug jailed for breaking man’s jaw in a vicious surprise attack
VICTIM COULD NOT EAT SOLID FOOD FOR SIX WEEKS
A MAN who viciously attacked a relative to the point that he could not eat for six weeks has been jailed.
A “red mist” descended upon Wayne Gleeson, 38, on the night of August 11 last year after claims a threatening message was sent to his sister by a distant relative.
When a drunk Gleeson saw the man suspected of sending the acrimonious message pass by his friend’s house in Field Street, east Hull, he rode up to him on his bicycle.
A disturbing attack followed that included kicking the man’s head and ribs as the victim lay on the ground, with his partner and two young nieces watching on.
“There is a right way and wrong way in going about such matters,” said Judge David Tremberg at Hull Crown Court. “You chose the wrong way.
“You rode up to him on your bike and without warning you set about him, punching him repeatedly to the face until he fell to the ground.
“You then kicked him in the head and ribs repeatedly with all this being played out in front of the women and young children he was with.”
The victim suffered a fractured jaw during the attack and was put on a “sloppy diet” of soup and soft foods.
“I couldn’t eat properly for six weeks,” said the victim in a statement. “This was a problem to me as I could not eat what I normally would.
“It was very painful and I was put on co-codamol for weeks. It still causes me pain now especially when I am in cold weather.”
The victim rarely goes out anymore and when he does he admits to being anxious at the thought of bumping into Gleeson again.
“I would just leave the area as quickly as I possibly could,” he said.
Gleeson appeared at Hull Crown Court on January 15 to be sentenced for causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
His record contains 25 convictions for 45 offences including crimes of violence such as battery in 2011, 2016 and 2018 and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in 2017 and 2019.
Mitigating barrister Mark Savage revealed Gleeson suffered from devastating tragedies over the last few years which may explain the “red mist” that came over him that day.
Mr Savage said: “The sister he relied on most committed suicide. Another sister died as a result of the Covid virus last year.
“His other sister he believed was being subjected to abuse and Gleeson says ‘I lost it and my emotions got the better of me.’”
Detective Constable Jenny Ransom of Humberside Police said that the vicious attack “could have easily been far worse”.
Judge Tremberg agreed that it was not “beyond the realms of possibility” that Gleeson could have been facing a manslaughter charge had it turned out that way.
He also added that Gleeson’s “hypersensitivity” may have led to the offence but that an immediate term in custody was inevitable.
Gleeson was sentenced to months in prison. 20