‘People are sick of town centre violence’
A DISTRICT judge said that people in Huddersfield are sick of violence as he sentenced a man over an attack outside McDonald’s.
Daryl Cusworth kicked and punched a stranger in a row outside the John William Street restaurant early on November 15.
It is the latest in a string of attacks that have taken place near to the fast food chain in the last 12 months.
And District Judge Michael Fanning said that locals have had enough of the high levels of violence, usually caused by gangs.
He said: “The people of Huddersfield from what I have read are absolutely sick to the back teeth of town centre violence.
“A lot of this seems to be within the vicinity of McDon- ald’s and it’s week in, week out.
“An awful lot of that seems to be connected to gang culture.”
Former soldier Cusworth, of Savile Square in Mirfield, pleaded guilty to using threatening or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of unlawful violence.
The fight between the 33-year-old and another man broke out just before 6am.
Jill Seddon, prosecuting, said that CCT V footage showed the row and both men were arrested.
She told the hearing at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court : “He said that he was struck by the other male for no reason and believed initially that he was acting in self-defence.
“The first blow was thrown by the other male but he accepts he should have walked away.
“They were separated three times, first by McDonald’s security and other times by members of the public.”
Ian Whiteley, mitigating, said that while his client didn’t throw the first punch, he became enraged and went too far.
He then kicked the other man while he was on the ground but didn’t know where his foot connected with his body.
The court was told that Cusworth served with the Royal Logistics Corps from 2002 to 2006 and left because he was suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Mr Whiteley said: “He came out of the Army with very little support and got involved with drugs.
“He’s been clean for 11 months but now has a problem with alcohol and uses it as a coping mechanism.”
Judge Fanning told Cusworth that the offence was particularly serious due to the escalation in violence in the town seen in the past year, with many incidents taking place near to the burger chain.
In July last year mass fights involving more than 50 people erupted there on consecutive nights.
Then in October teen thug Troy Augustine admitted to a brutal attack there where he stamped on a man five times under the golden arches sign.
The month father-of-three Graham Bell, 37, died after suffering serious head injuries outside the restaurant.
A teenage boy was cleared of his manslaughter following a trial at Leeds Crown Court held in August this year.
In May the Examiner told how YouTube rapper Jahrel Miller sparked a 20-man brawl outside McDonald’s by hitting people with a yellow cleaning cone.
The 23-year-old from Dewsbury was sentenced to a community order after magistrates heard how he threw punches, kicked and hit others involved in the melee.
Judge Fanning told Cusworth that while much of the violence appears to be gangrelated, he was satisfied that he was no part of that.
He acknowledged that some “damage had been done” by his time in the Army and told him that he could be rehabilitation with the help of the probation service.
Cusworth was sentenced to eight weeks in custody suspended for nine months.
He will have to complete up to 12 rehabilitation activity days as part of his community order.
Judge Fanning also fined him £100 and ordered him to pay £115 court charge.