Ryan MacLeod jailed for Coney Street attack (From York Press)

Ryan MacLeod jailed for Coney Street attack

10:33am Monday 6th September 2010 in

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A LAGER lout who partially blinded a youth and left him permanently disfigured in a York city-centre attack has been jailed, thanks to a reader of The Press.

Ryan MacLeod, 19, stamped on the face of his 17-year-old victim and broke his eye socket before fleeing into the night with an accomplice. But when police appealed for help through The Press, a reader was able to give them the information that led them to MacLeod’s door.

Today, he is starting four years behind bars, while his victim tries to cope with the physical and emotional effects of permanent double vision and visible damage to his eye and teeth.

Det Con Fionna McEwan, of York CID, thanked the reader who contacted police.

“This was a vicious unprovoked attack on a 17-year-old young man who was out in York city centre,” she said.

“Now that the court process has concluded, I hope he will be able to move on from the incident and continue with his life. Violence in York is treated very seriously by the police and I hope that today’s result confirms this for local residents.”

MacLeod, of Tuke Avenue, Tang Hall, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent in a joint attack with another, unknown man.

“It is abundantly clear between the two of you, you gave him a dreadful beating,” Recorder Tony Kelbrick told MacLeod.

Michael Collins, prosecuting, told York Crown Court the victim had been walking home along Coney Street shortly after 1am on December 11 when MacLeod and another man approached him.

The unknown man grabbed his cigarettes. He pursued them for a couple of seconds, but when he caught up with them, they turned on him and punched and stamped on him near the Willow Chinese restaurant.

After MacLeod was arrested on December 16, forensic scientists found the youth’s blood on his trainers, and the pattern matched marks left on the youth’s face.

For MacLeod, Glenn Parsons said he had punched the victim once and stamped on him once, and had joined in after his friend had started the attack. It had not been premeditated, but a spur of the moment decision by MacLeod after he had had too much to drink. The judge read a letter from MacLeod in which he said he was “disgusted and ashamed” of his actions.

MacLeod has six years of previous convictions including offences for public disorder, criminal damage and driving matters, but none for violence.