Man broke pal's jaw after drink and drugs binge, court hears

A booze and cocaine-fuelled binge led to a man breaking his friend's jaw in two places, a court was told.
Leeds Crown Court.Leeds Crown Court.
Leeds Crown Court.

James Dexter had downed a bottle of rum during a drinking session and had been taking the Class A drug with two work colleagues, who were also brothers, before he blindsided one of them later that evening when they tried to drop him off in their car.

The 24-year-old appeared at Leeds Crown Court on Monday where he admitted GBH without intent on Crossley Street in New Sharlston on August 9, last year.

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Outlining the case for the prosecution, Jessica Strange said: "As the evening went on he became more and more rowdy.

"He initially said he loved everybody and was being quite loud."

But as they got in the car to go another person's house, after they had dropped off Dexter, he became aggressive and started shouting at the other two, getting into an argument over a mobile phone.

When they went to drop him off, one of the brothers said he was looking the other way when Dexter hit him in the face, breaking his jaw in two places.

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The man was taken to hospital and needed surgery to place three plates in his jaw.

Dexter claimed he could not remember the incident after speaking to the victim's brother days later.

He apologised but felt he had not been capable of breaking anyone's jaw, but said he had been "done over" by the brothers who he said had taken his money and phone, the court was told.

Dexter, of Manor Farm Gardens, Middleton, Leeds, had previous convictions for violence, but they dated back to when he was a juvenile in 2014 and 2015.

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Mitigating Kate Bisset said Dexter had made efforts to turn his life around.

She said he had been working 60 hours a week, adding: "He tells me he has not been on a night out drinking since this incident because he does not want to be that person."

She said that Dexter was also a regular at a self-help group for men to talk about their personal issues.

Judge Christopher Batty read a report into Dexter's background, which was not disclosed to the court, but said it "goes someway to explaining" his violent past.

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He admitted he was prepared to send Dexter into custody but held back, giving him a 12-month jail term, suspended for 18 months.

He also ordered him to pay £1,500 compensation to the victim.

Judge Batty said: "What you have done since this offence, the actions you have set in motion, can mean you that you do not come here again."