Two Doncaster thugs spared jail over town centre attacks

Sheffield Crown Court heard on June 22 how Matthew Radford, aged 33, of Hawthorne Avenue, Doncaster, knocked-out one man and Shane Pearce, aged 30, of Common Lane, Doncaster, struck another in Doncaster town centre.

Judge Sarah Wright said the two complainants had been drinking in Doncaster town centre and Radford was behaving aggressively and he assaulted one of the two complainants with a single blow rendering him unconscious.

She added the other complainant reacted out of self-defence when he saw the first complainant on the ground and Pearce hit him.

Radford, who has previous convictions, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning grievous bodily harm and Pearce pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm after the incident on September 22, 2018.

Tom Heath, defending Radford, said: “There is no getting away from the fact it was late at night and it was under the influence of alcohol in a fairly busy area.”

He added that once Radford had struck the complainant he did not pursue the attack further.

Emma Coverley, defending Pearce, said he has remained out of trouble since the assault and he is not someone who comes before the courts for violence.

Radford also pleaded guilty to separate offences including dangerous driving from April and failing to stop, driving without insurance and a licence, failing to provide a specimen and to possessing cocaine.

Judge Wright said Radford had been seen driving by police and there had been a chase with speeds reaching up to 90mph as well as driving the wrong way along a carriageway and a roundabout.

Mr Heath added Radford had gone out to buy sanitary products for his partner and when he saw flashing lights behind him he was worried because he had been attacked by a man with an axe last year and he had not realised it was a police car.

Judge Wright sentenced Radford to 14-months of custody suspended for two years with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and a 14-month curfew. He was banned from driving for two years.

Pearce was sentenced to four-months of custody suspended for 12 months with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement.