Judge jails man over ‘inexcusable’ attack

Darren McCarron misread the situation after he had been drinking and “waded in” when he thought the victim Ryan Hassack and his friend Sam Earnshaw were bothering his wife outside a club, his solicitor Adrian Pollard told Leeds Crown Court yesterday.

Drink turned him into a different person and unfortunately “he did not take time to find out that she was fine and did what he did,” he said.

McCarron grabbed Mr Earnshaw by the shoulder and spun him round punching him in the face connecting with his left eye and then attacked Mr Hassack punching him and knocking him to the ground, Jonathan Sharp prosecuting told the court.

Mr Hassack was taken to Dewsbury District Hospital where he was found to have bleeding behind his right eye and a fractured cheekbone. He needed two operations to have metal plates inserted and, the court heard, has permanent scarring.

McCarron, 33 of Holmsley Walk, Leeds admitted grievous bodily harm to Mr Hassack and common assault to Mr Earnshaw in Morley on October 31 last year.

Jailing him Judge Scott Wolstenholme said he had caused a “very serious injury in inexcusable circumstances.”

Mr Hassack would be living with the consequences of McCarron’s “moment of madness” for a long time to come.