A MEMBER of a gang who chased a York father through the city's streets then launched a fatal attack on him later blinded a teenager in one eye while he was on bail on suspicion of murder, the Evening Press can reveal.

Court orders have banned us until now from telling how Carl Wesley Mason, 23, shot a 17-year-old with an airgun - and then twice used legal arguments to try and escape punishment for the manslaughter of Mick Brolly.

Anthony Russell, QC, prosecuting, told Hull Crown Court that on September 16, 2001, Mason was one of a group of people who pursued Mr Brolly, 34, of Margaret Street, Walmgate, through York city centre, and joined in the fatal attack on him after others had punched and kicked him unconscious on Low Ousegate.

In a separate incident six weeks later - and while on bail accused of murdering Mr Brolly - Mason shot Ryan Carr, then 17, in the eye after saying: "You didn't think I would catch up with you, did you?"

Mr Justice Treacy told Mason: "Your involvement in two grave incidents of violence in such a short space of time does tell a story about the sort of person you can be."

He said he had considered what Mason's barrister, Simon Jackson, QC, told him about how the 23-year-old was suffering in prison because of eczema, threats of retaliation against him, his inability to help his drug-using mother, and being separated for 20 months from his three-year-old daughter.

"But I also remember that by your actions in the autumn of 2001, one young man lost an eye and has to live with the consequences of that for the rest of his life, and another family has lost a member permanently," the judge told Mason.

He jailed Mason for four years for the manslaughter of Mr Brolly, to be served after he finishes the four years he received in April, 2002, at Leeds Crown Court for wounding Mr Carr and possessing a firearm with intent to make others fear violence.

Mason, of no fixed address, admitted the offences. He twice tried to change his plea to not guilty on the manslaughter charge, but Mr Justice Treacy rejected his application.

:: Mason's former girlfriend, Leanne Beard, 20, formerly of Bull Lane, off Lawrence Street, York, is serving three-and-a-half years, and Jason Rodney Hodgson, 32, of Spindle Close, Acomb, four-and-a-half years after they admitted manslaughter on the day all three were due to stand trial for Mr Brolly's murder.

Frightened youth was left blinded in one eye

IN April, 2002, Leeds Crown Court heard that Carl Mason's airgun pellet was still inside Ryan Carr's skull and had permanently blinded one eye.

Nicholas Barker, prosecuting, said Mason, 23, collected airguns and had spent October 24, 2001, drinking beer, smoking cannabis and taking a large quantity of the tranquilliser diazepam at a friend's flat in Wains Road, York.

As Mr Carr, then 17, walked through the door of the flat Mason grabbed the helmet he was wearing and pushed him against the wall.

Despite Mr Carr's pleas of "please don't, please don't hurt me", Mason shot him in the eye.

Mason told police he had only meant to frighten the youngster, who had bought a mountain bike from him, but had stopped his regular payments.

For Mason, Anthony Granville-Fall claimed that Mr Carr had gone to the flat to buy drugs.

He said Mason was under a lot of pressure because he was on bail, suspected of murdering Mick Brolly, and had fallen out with his girlfriend.

Recorder John Brodwell described Mason as "an extremely damaged individual".

Updated: 10:47 Tuesday, June 17, 2003