Curfew for thug who knocked out York diner

12:40pm Monday 17th November 2008

THEY were a young couple having a meal together – but he ended their night out with brain damage and she got a black eye.

Fellow diner Mitchell Grant Haywood felled Thomas Warren, 20, of Riccall, with a single punch and when the victim’s 19-year-old girlfriend, Lucy Conroy, tried to stop the attacker, Haywood knocked her out as well, said prosecutor David Garnett.

Now the plumber apprentice who lashed out without provocation is starting a six-month 12-hour nightly curfew, the maximum possible.

“That is so you cannot go out at night and so that you, like Mr Warren, understand what it is like to be restricted,” Recorder Tom Bayliss QC told Haywood.

“It was in my judgement a premeditated assault. You had plainly gone out of the restaurant intending to do him some harm and you did. You had a significant impact on his life.”

He said how the attack had given Mr Warren memory loss, affected him psychologically so that he felt unsafe going out unless he was part of a group larger than two, and has damaged his teeth.

“We didn’t want him to be jailed, but we hope he has learned a lesson,” said John Warren, father of Thomas.

Lucy’s mother, Gillian Conroy, said: “The judge has done his best without sending him to prison. It’s a pity it couldn’t be longer. If he had gone to prison he would have been a drain on society.”

Haywood, 20, of Harlech Road, Beeston, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Warren and actual bodily harm to Miss Conroy. In addition to the curfew, he was put under supervision for 18 months, ordered to do an anger management course and must pay Mr Warren £664.30 token compensation and Miss Conroy £200 compensation, plus £350 towards prosecution costs.

His barrister, Helen Hendry, said he apologised for his actions which had been out of character. He and a friend had been working on the outskirts of York on March 27 and went afterwards to The Willow Restaurant, in Coney Street, York, where the two victims were also dining.

Mr Garnett said the friend and Mr Warren had a non-violent exchange of views outside the restaurant in the early hours. Haywood went up behind Mr Warren, turned him round and punched him to the ground. Then he punched Miss Conroy.