A man who beat up a stranger in York so violently he thought he would die has been jailed for 18 months.
Alex Newsome, 27, from Burton Stone Lane, York, had pleaded guilty to unlawfully and maliciously causing grievous bodily harm.
He was sentenced at York Crown Court today (Thursday).
In the early hours of Sunday 20 November 2022 the victim, a local man in his early 30s, was walking home from a night out.
Newsome chased him from High Petergate down onto Exhibition Square, before punching him repeatedly to his face causing him to fall to the floor.
He then beat the victim by punching and kicking him to the face, chest, and arm.
The attack left the victim with serious injuries – four fractured ribs, a punctured lung, a laceration to his eye lid, and severe bruising to his face, chest, and arm.
Newsome and the victim did not know one another.
‘Never get over it’
In a personal impact statement read out in court, the victim said: “I still get pain from this attack today and some days can be worse than others. I was so lucky I did not die.
“This attack will forever stay with me, and I will never get over the flashbacks of events, the pain I endured, the colour of my skin from the bruising, and the endless hours of recovery time which I will never get back.
“I am now always looking over my shoulder when I am out and about in confined areas or if I hear someone close behind me.”
Detective Constable Jenna Hallewell, who led the investigation, said: “The vicious and unprovoked assault Newsome inflicted upon the victim has greatly affected his life since the attack.
“His confidence has been shattered, and he now struggles to go out in the city centre with his friends.
“I have nothing but praise for the victim’s bravery throughout this case. I hope the outcome at court provides him with some closure and it is a positive step as he continues to rebuild his life.”
As well as jail time, Newsome was ordered to pay a surcharge of £187.
