'Appalling, thuggish, loutish behaviour': Man jailed for breaking train guard's finger after boarding at Knottingley

A thug who broke a train guard's finger and was involved in a drunken street attack on a couple has been sent to prison.
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Jonathan Nye was locked up for three and a half years over his "thuggish" behaviour during the incidents which took place in 2019 and 2020.

Leeds Crown Court heard Nye boarded a Leeds-bound train at Knottingley with two people on October 6 last year.

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Jade Edwards, prosecuting, said all three immediately went to the toilet and locked themselves in.

Nye got on at Knottingley.Nye got on at Knottingley.
Nye got on at Knottingley.

The train guard formed the view that they were trying to avoid paying for a ticket and told them to come out.

Nye told the guard he was using the toilet and said that he was only 15 years old.

He shouted to the guard: "Stop perving at me."

The train stopped at the next station and the guard told them that they would not be moving until they came out.

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He opened a control panel and pressed a button to open the toilet door but force was used to keep it shut.

The guard managed to get his arm in the door and forced it open.

Nye and the other men then began shouting abuse and insults at the guard.

Nye became aggressive and pressed buttons on the control panel.

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The guard was concerned because there was a danger of the doors opening on the non-platform side.

The defendant told the guard he was going to knock him out.

His accomplice then flicked liquid at him and told him he was "covered in p***".

The train driver tried to intervene as he feared for the safety of his colleague.

Nye continued to be aggressive and threatened to stab the guard in the neck.

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As he left the train he turned around and kicked out at the guard as the doors were closing.

The victim raised his hand to protect himself and suffered a serious finger injury.

He required surgery to have a pin put in the finger and was in plaster for six weeks.

The court heard Nye was also involved in a street attack on a couple in Armley on March 10, 2019.

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The couple had been out drinking when they were attacked by Nye and two others, Natalia Hall and John-paul Cumming.

The attack was captured on CCTV footage outside a One Stop store in the early hours of the morning.

The male victim suffered a fractured nose and eye socket and was left covered in blood.

The female victim suffered injuries to her ear.

Nye, 25, of Park Road West, Crosland Moor, Huddersfield, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

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Eddison Flint, mitigating for Nye, said: "He makes no excuses for the violence on either occasion and knows he has to pay the price.

"He is ashamed of his behaviour."

Recorder Ian Mullarkey said: "This was appalling, thuggish, loutish behaviour."

Cumming, 25, of Askett Avenue, Morley, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and causing grievous bodily harm in relation to the Armley attack.

He was given a 16-month sentence, suspended for 18 months.

He was also ordered to pay £250 compensation to each victim. He must do 200 hours of unpaid work and complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

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Hall, 23, of Stanks Drive, Leeds, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

She was given a ten-month sentence, suspended for 12 months, and made the subject of a curfew order for three months.