Two yobs jailed for savage attack at Leeds rail station

Lee Newsham and Ashley Whitehead, both 21, assaulted a 19-year-old man near the ticket barriers at Leeds station in June. The victim, from Bradford, needed two titanium plates to rebuild his shattered skull.

The men were jailed yesterday at Leeds Crown Court after admitting causing grievous bodily harm.

Judge Alastair McCallum said: “You both had decent jobs and careers; three lives have been ruined in a very short time.

“The victim was savagely kicked in the head; it would be no exaggeration to say that it would be similar to describe it as a football or rugby player kicking a ball.

“He was grievously injured with a depressed fracture to his skull. He was very fortunate that the surgeons were good and could reconstruct it with titanium plates.”

Detective Inspector Stuart Mellish said: “This was a completely unprovoked attack on an innocent victim who was simply travelling home.

“Newsham and Whitehead, who were heavily under the influence of alcohol, singled him out, punched him to the ground then, when he was defenceless, repeatedly kicked him in the head, fracturing his skull in a number of places before fleeing, leaving their victim with life-changing injuries.”

Newsham, of Mayfield Drive, Keighley, and Whitehead, of Nabwood Rise, Shipley, had travelled, along with their victim, on the 9.56pm Skipton to Leeds train.

They were arrested after a media appeal.