Man feared his eye would 'fall out' after Sheffield thug attacked him while he was sleeping

A man suffered multiple fractures to his head and was left fearing his eye would ‘fall out’ after being attacked by a Sheffield thug while he was sleeping.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The attack took place at the home of defendant Daniel Cassidy in Longley Hall Road, Longley, where Cassidy attacked his victim as he was sleeping, using ‘significant force’ to strike him twice with his foot.

In a statement read to Sheffield Crown Court, the victim detailed the initial impact of the injuries he suffered, which included multiple fractures to the right side of his face and bruising to his right eye.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Prosecuting barrister Stephen Littlewood summarised the statement and said: “He said his eye was completely shut and he couldn’t see anything out of it…he was afraid his eye would fall out. He said he was living every day in fear of sneezing or coughing in case he causes any more damage to his eye.”

Daniel Cassidy has been jailed for attacking another man as he was sleepingDaniel Cassidy has been jailed for attacking another man as he was sleeping
Daniel Cassidy has been jailed for attacking another man as he was sleeping

A more recent update to the court confirmed that the victim is now due to undergo treatment with an orthodontist in September this year to have his jaw realigned.

During the March 15 hearing, Mr Littlewood told the court that the victim’s former partner is the mother of Cassidy’s girlfriend.

Prior to the incident taking place on May 20 last year, Cassidy, the victim and their respective partners spent the evening at Cassidy’s home, drinking alcohol and taking cocaine while listening to music.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

At around midday the following day, after becoming tired, the victim lay down on Cassidy’s floor and began to fall asleep, the court heard.

“While he went to sleep, without any provocation, he [Cassidy] kicked the complainant to the head with his left foot and stamped on his head. It was a single kick and a single stamp, with significant force,” Mr Littlewood said.

Read More
Queer Junction Sheffield: Man charged over stabbing outside Sheffield club

Following the assault, the police were called and the victim was taken to Northern General Hospital to be treated for his injuries.

The victim’s partner subsequently logged on to her daughter’s Facebook Messenger account and saw messages sent by Cassidy, in which he asked her to: ‘tell police he slipped and banged his head’ and ‘tell them we had all been on coke and he slipped’.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Littlewood said Cassidy provided officers with yet another account in police interview, and claimed that he and the victim bumped into two males that the victim owed money to, and they went on to attack him.

Cassidy was initially charged with Section 20 grievous bodily harm (GBH), but he subsequently pleaded guilty to a lesser, Section 18 GBH offence which was accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service.

The 25-year-old has a number of previous convictions for violent offences including common assault and battery, but has not been sentenced for such offences since 2013.

Defending, Richard Adams, said: “The defendant, quite frankly, can not venture any explanation…there is no rational explanation. In the cold light of day, he realised what had happened and foolishly made attempts to excuse what he had done.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The judge, Recorder Megan Rhys, sentenced Cassidy to 30 months in prison, and told him: “This offence is so serious that only a sentence of immediate imprisonment can be justified. This was not a single blow, it was a kick to the head followed by a stamp with significant force.”