Man jailed over attack with pool ball in sock

Daniel Varley got drunk and had no recollection of why he assaulted the two men in the street of which he was bitterly ashamed, Stephen Smithson, representing him, told Leeds Crown Court yesterday.

John Sleightholme, prosecuting, said the two victims, Jack Groves and John Earl, were out with friends in April and had just left the Dry Dock public house heading across Woodhouse Lane intending to go to the railway station in Leeds when the attack happened.

The pair were slightly behind the rest of their friends when they noticed Varley and two other men at a traffic island.

Varley made a remark to one of them who said he did not want trouble and continued to walk on. But Varley then ran over and hit him on the back of the head with his improvised weapon.

Mr Groves thought he had been punched and tried to carry on walking. But his friend, Mr Earl, turned round and he was then hit in the face before Varley struck another blow to Mr Groves, again on the back of his head.

However, police officers passing by had witnessed the attack and immediately stopped their vehicle. They saw Varley trying to hide something behind some railings and recovered his weapon and arrested him.

Mr Earl had cut lips, a broken tooth with others misaligned by the blow, while Mr Groves had a lump and a cut to the back of his head.

Varley, 23, of Parkway Court, Seacroft, Leeds, was jailed for three years after admitting the assaults.