Peacemaker in town centre row left with fractured thumb

A MAN had to have an operation on a fractured thumb after he was knocked down when he tried to intervene in a row in the centre of Huddersfield, a court heard.

Basharat Ahmed, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court that Neil Lambley’s assailant was Richard Lewis, who earlier on July 16 had been at another man’s birthday party at Golcar Cricket Club.

After the party Lewis and his partner had gone into the town centre to continue their night out but in the early hours he ended up in an altercation in Cross Church Street with another man from the party.

Mr Ahmed said people had gathered around them and Mr Lambley went across to try to calm things down, but was punched by Lewis.

He was helped up and ushered across the road but Lewis followed and punched him again, knocking him down. In hospital he was found to have a complex fracture to the base of his thumb. Following an operation he still has limitation in his grip which could last 12 months or may be permanent.

Carl Kingsley, representing Lewis, urged the court not to jail him and said he had a good work record with character references from his employer and colleagues which showed a completely different side to him.

He was also involved in running a community football team.

Judge Tom Bayliss QC told Lewis he was prepared to suspend sentence for him to work with the probation service but violence in drink was a worrying theme of his previous offending. In 2011 he was given a suspended sentence for punching someone, knocking them to the ground in similar circumstances to the current case when he had been drinking.

“At 3.45 am there was an altercation between you and another man. The person you hit did no more than intervene; he was trying to be the peacemaker but you in rage because of drink punched him.”

The judge said it was clear from CCTV Mr Lambley moved away and others tried to stop Lewis from confronting him again but were unsuccessful because he was in “fighting mood”.

Lewis, 36, of Rawthorpe Lane, Huddersfield, admitted causing grievous bodily harm and was given 18 months in prison suspended for two years, with 300 hours’ unpaid work, 20 rehabilitation requirement days and 33 days on a control of anger and violence while in drink programme. He was also given a six-month curfew from 7pm to 6am.