Sheffield man attacked neighbour twice while on suspended sentence for fracturing Manchester United fan's jaw

During a November 24 hearing, Sheffield Crown Court heard how defendant Mark Allsopp was given a suspended sentence for an incident that took place on November 24, 2019, after Allsopp took ‘umbrage’ with a ‘rival’ Manchester United supporter.

"It culminated in him punching the supporter to the face, resulting in a fractured jaw,” said prosecuting barrister, Aaron Dinnes.

Judge Peter Kelson KC noted that the injury caused by Allsopp had to be ‘fixed with surgery under general anaesthetic’. Allsopp was subsequently sentenced to 18 months’ custody, suspended for 24 months, in December 2021 over the attack.

The court heard how less than two months after being handed the suspended sentence, Allsopp, of Westminster Avenue in Fulwood, Sheffield attacked the complainant, who is a neighbour he ‘had a problem with’.

Mr Dinnes said the complainant had been accused of ‘stalking’ someone on the estate he and Allsopp lived on; and during a verbal altercation on February 12, Allsopp told him to ‘f*** off the estate’. Allsopp, aged 55, then proceeded to ‘hit’ the complainant, added Mr Dinnes.

Allsopp was arrested by police, and Mr Dinnes said that during interview Allsopp ‘denied being threatening’ and claimed the complainant was ‘playing the victim’. Allsopp was released on police bail, and he struck again three months later on May 5, 2022 after getting on to the same bus as the complainant.

"He [the complainant] is on the bus minding his own business, the defendant is sat a few rows behind, and makes a comment. He later comes up behind the complainant and punches him to the head,” Mr Dinnes told the court.

Allsopp was charged with, and was subsequently found guilty of, two counts of common assault, following a trial at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court.

Mr Dinnes said Allsopp has a criminal record of 54 convictions for 114 offences, six of which were public order offences, and a further nine were offences against the person; adding that he also breached another suspended sentence order in 2015.

Defending, Rebecca Tanner, said Allsopp has a number of ‘ongoing mental health difficulties’ such as schizophrenia and physical health problems following on from being diagnosed with prostate cancer.

However, Judge Kelson told Ms Tanner that was the same mitigation advanced on Allsopp’s behalf to the judge who gave him the suspended sentence, following which he still went on to commit further crimes.

Ms Tanner said she ‘accepted’ the same mitigation had previously been used, and added that Allsopp was someone who acknowledged he had ‘ongoing’ issues, and was ‘seeking help to address’ them. She continued by saying that while she does not seek to ‘excuse’ Allsopp’s behaviour, the complainant’s previous conviction for harassment of a neighbour and the fact he is currently on police bail for allegations of racially aggravated harassment and racially aggravated common assault, may help to explain the ‘background’ to Allsopp’s offending.

Passing sentence, Judge Kelson told Allsopp: “You have no respect for the crown court suspended sentence, you have no respect for the police bail you were put on,” and described his behaviour as ‘simply defiant’.

He said he did not believe it would be ‘unjust’ to activate the full suspended sentence, jailed Allsopp for 18 months, and sentenced him to three months’ custody, to run concurrently, for the second common assault which was committed while Allsopp was on police bail.

"I do not completely overlook your problems, but note that you have overlooked court orders,” added Judge Kelson.