Thugs spared jail at Sheffield Crown Court after man headbutted in taxi-rank argument

Sheffield Crown Court heard on March 3 how youngsters Kian-Lee Wallis and Liam Beaumont had been waiting at a taxi-rank in Barnsley town centre when a supervisor broke-up a fight and headed off down Market Street to separate others when he was knocked to the ground.

Amy Earnshaw, prosecuting, said CCTV shows Wallis and another unknown male set upon the taxi-rank supervisor in April, 2018, on Market Street and Wallis kicked him while the supervisor was on the ground.

Ms Earnshaw added about two hours later Wallis also got involved in a verbal altercation at a taxi-rank on Market Hill with another male and cameras showed Wallis and Beaumont assaulting two complainants with punches, kicks and headbutts.

Recorder David Kelly told the defendants: “No doubt because it was raining heavily and you were all getting wet, you Wallis and Beaumont got involved in an an argument with two men and a woman over your place in the queue for a taxi.”

He confirmed one of the two men was punched, kicked and headbutted in the joint attack and the second man was punched and kicked.

Wallis, aged 19, of Springfield Crescent, Darfield, Barnsley, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm on the taxi-rank supervisor.

And Beaumont, aged 20, of Ancona Rise, Darfield, Barnsley, and Wallis pleaded guilty to assault occasioning grievous bodily harm and assault occasioning actual bodily harm after the second incident.

Richard Adams, defending, said Wallis had only been aged 16 at the time of the offences and due to delays in proceedings he is now an adult facing the prospect of a custodial sentence.

Emily Jenkins, defending, said Beaumont is regarded as an honest and hardworking joiner who is ashamed of what he has done.

Recorder Kelly accepted the defendants were young at the time and the delays have not been their fault.

He sentenced Wallis to a two-year community order with 180 hours’ unpaid work and Beaumont was sentenced to a two-year community order with 140 hours’ unpaid work.

Wallis must pay £550 compensation and Beaumont must pay £400 compensation.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to The Star website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Visit https://www.thestar.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Thank you

Nancy Fielder, editor