South Yorkshire man jailed for over a year for 'frightening' attack

Jack Archer was jailed for 13 months during a hearing held at Sheffield Crown Court today, after he pleaded guilty to offences of affray and possession of an offensive weapon at an earlier hearing.

The incident took place on the afternoon of February 9 this year, after Archer, aged 23, got into an argument with the complainant.

Jessica Southcote-Want, prosecuting, said Archer, of Tennyson Road, Rotherham began the attack by ‘squeezing’ the complainant’s face, before taking hold of their throat and attempting to strangle them.

A second individual present at the house attempted to intervene, at which point Archer punched them in the face.

Archer also threw a bottle at the second complainant as they attempted to leave the house, the court heard.

The second complainant went outside and asked for help from a neighbour who happened to be passing.

“She ran inside and followed the sound of shouting and screaming,” said Ms Southcote-Want, adding that the neighbour found the first complainant holding their arms over their head as Archer threw punches.

The neighbour attempted to push Archer off the complainant, and subsequently left the address out of fear for her safety.

Ms Southcote-Want said: “She [the neighbour] became aware that the defendant was outside the address. She saw the defendant holding a kitchen knife. He was shouting: ‘Come on then, come on then’.”

Police were called to the scene, and Archer was arrested.

In statements submitted to the court, the complainants said the incident left them feeling ‘upset’ and ‘in fear’.

Laura Marshall, defending, said Archer was ‘ashamed of his behaviour’.

She described Archer as someone who was ‘extremely vulnerable’ due to the mental health problems and learning difficulties he suffers from.

“He doesn’t seek to absolve himself of responsibility, what he does seek to do is try and understand why he has been behaving in the way that he has. What is abundantly clear is he seems to have been passed to pillar to post,” said Ms Marshall, referring to the different agencies in charge of his care when he received the diagnoses for his conditions as an adolescent.

“He wants help, he needs help, and he recognises that,” she added.

As he jailed Archer, Judge Graham Reeds QC said: “You assaulted the first complainant in a particularly unpleasant way over a period of time.”

He added: “The victim personal statements I have heard make it plain that you have caused a great deal of upset, heartbreak and fright. Everyone was concerned about your behaviour on that occasion.”

- South Yorkshire Police have been asked to provide a custody image of Archer