Two men jailed following vicious attack in Ripon which left victim with broken eye socket

Gavin Hewson, 45, and Charles Neate, 55, punched the victim repeatedly at a block of flats in Ripon which left him “covered in blood”, York Crown Court heard.

They were arrested and charged with causing grievous bodily harm but denied the offences.

However, a jury found them guilty following a trial in November.

Prosecutor Nicola Hoskins said the two men went to the apartment block in St Marygate apparently looking to “sort out” another man but ended up attacking his neighbour.

The victim, who was named in court, had been watching TV with his partner when they heard someone shouting the name of their neighbour who lived in the opposite flat.

When the victim went outside to ask them to be quiet and go away, he was attacked by the two men, resulting in a fractured eye socket, swollen eyes and suspected broken nose.

His partner called police as other people outside flagged down a passing police car and alerted officers to the attack.

Two officers followed a “trail of blood” from the apartment block’s communal door to the victim’s flat and advised him to seek medical attention.

He was treated at Harrogate District Hospital and kept in overnight due to the extent of his injuries.

He later had facial-reconstruction surgery.

Hewson and Neate claimed they weren’t even at the apartment block but were found guilty as charged.

They appeared for sentence today.

Ms Hoskins described the attack, which occurred on August 2, 2020, as “prolonged and persistent”.

Hewson, of Maple Walk, Ripon, had 13 previous convictions for 20 offences including battery, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and disorderly behaviour.

Neate, of Aysgarth Walk, Richmond Hill, Leeds, had 110 offences on his record including many for serious violence and previous convictions for assault with intention to rob, public disorder, affray and carrying a blade.

David McGonigal, for Hewson, said the father-of-two had a well-paid job but accepted he had a problem with drink-related violence.

He said Hewson could lose his job and his home if he were jailed.

Robert Mochrie, for Neate, said his client had been struggling with his mental health for years following a family tragedy.

But judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, said the attack at the apartment block was “far too serious” for anything other than an immediate jail sentence.

He told the defendants: “Both of you have had serious tragedies in your lives and they were deeply unpleasant but think about all the unpleasantness, the upset, the fear, that you have caused in your lives to other people.

“And on this night, I’m quite satisfied that the pair of you were going to these flats in order to sort somebody out.

“You weren’t after this (victim) but it turned nasty very quickly upon your unfortunate victim who had nothing to do with you and came out simply to ask you to be quiet and both of you set about him.

“You beat up a purely innocent man just for the hell of it.”

He told Neate: “It is right to say that your offending was tailing off somewhat but back it’s come with a vengeance.”

Jailing him for three years, the judge described Neate as a “very violent man indeed”.

Hewson was jailed for two-and-a-half years because his track record for violence wasn’t as bad as Neate’s.

Both men were also slapped with a five-year restraining order banning them from contacting the victim and his partner and going to St Marysgate in Ripon.