Teenager left with fractured jaw after attack by three men

The 17-year-old initially did not realise how badly he was hurt and went home thinking he would be OK, Richard Gioserano, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court yesterday.

But during the night he woke up in severe pain, his tongue was swollen and he began vomiting. He was taken to hospital and an X-ray showed his jaw was broken in two places.

He needed surgery and may still face further attention because of damage to teeth that could require root canal treatment.

The court heard one of his attackers in Mirfield was Wade McLean who subsequently went on to rob a taxi driver.

McLean, 22, of West Way, Mirfield, near Dewsbury, was jailed for a total of five years after he admitted grievous bodily harm to the teenager, robbery and an offence of handling a stolen watch.

Arran Smith, 18, of Saville Street, Emley, Huddersfield, was sent to a young offender institution for two years for robbing the taxi driver and Adam Hemingway, 24 of West Way, Mirfield, was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years with 250 hours unpaid work and to pay £1,000 compensation for causing the teenager grievous bodily harm.

Mr Gioserano said in June last year McLean and Hemingway were talking to one of the teenager’s friend and McLean asked him for some money back he had loaned him. When that youth said he did not have the money McLean turned to the teenager and said, “Are you going to sort him out?”

Before the teenager could respond, Hemingway punched him and McLean then did the same, followed by a third unidentified man with them. It was not known which of the punches broke his jaw.

In July this year a taxi driver Imran Ishmael collected four men including Smith and McLean from Birstall and drove them as directed to Mirfield.

Once there he thought the front passenger of the four was going to pay him but that man got out of the vehicle and Smith who was in the back grabbed him from behind demanding his money.

McLean then went through the driver’s pockets while he was restrained and took his watch. Smith having got out of the vehicle removed the car keys so the driver could not drive off and he was forced to hand over his £100 takings before they left.