February 25, 2016 12.32 pm This story is over 102 months old

‘Mindless’ drunk floored victim in unprovoked Lincoln attack

Unprovoked attack: A man has been jailed after leaving a victim with a fractured eye socket in a mindless drunken attack in Lincoln city centre.

The attack happened on Flaxengate in Lincoln. Photo: Google Street View

A drunk floored a man with a single blow leaving his victim with a fractured eye socket during a street attack in Lincoln city centre, a court was told on Thursday, February 25.

Rhys Whitehouse smashed his elbow into the face of victim Yassine McGrawe during the 4am incident on Flaxengate in the city.

Kevin Jones, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court that Mr McGrawe was left unconscious for 20 minutes as a result of the attack. He woke up in hospital with no recollection of the incident.

Mr Jones said: “Mr McGrawe was with a number of other males. They appeared to be talking. Without warning or provocation this defendant strikes a significant blow to Mr McGrawe’s face with his elbow with sufficient force to render him unconscious. He appears to have been unconscious for 20 minutes.

“Passers-by corralled the defendant away from Mr McGrawe towards Clasketgate. There appears to have been some sort of scuffle and then the defendant ran off.”

Mr McGrawe suffered a fractured left eye socket and a black eye.

The court was told that Whitehouse later admitted that he had travelled to Lincoln for a night out with the intention of getting blind drunk.

Whitehouse, 21, of Rochdale Road, Scunthorpe, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm as a result of the incident on September 6 2015. He was jailed for 12 months.

Judge John Pini QC, passing sentence, told him

“You were blind drunk. This was mindless, unprovoked violence in the early hours of the morning on a public street.

“The message has to go out that it won’t be tolerated. There has to be an immediate custodial sentence.”

Richard Lunn, defending, urged that any sentence of custody should be suspended and said: “This was a completely chance happening of two groups.

“At the time of this offence the defendant was going out drinking the excess. Since this he has completely abstained from going out and from drinking alcohol. He abstained even on his 21st birthday.

“It was binge drinking that led him to behave in an out of character manner on the evening in question but he has made efforts to turn his life around since.”