Man jailed for attacking large group of men in Eastborough, Scarborough - then escapes from custody
A man’s drunken attacks on passers-by caused mayhem on the main drag in Eastborough but landed him in hospital – and then prison.
Devon Wainwright, 24, first attacked a group of three people on the hill in upper Eastborough, York Crown Court heard.
“The defendant was initially punching all of them, then starts to punch a larger group of four males,” said prosecutor Rob Galley.
Some of the men and women at the scene tried to stop the fighting but this only resulted in a “large melee” as Wainwright, who was topless and looked “hammered”, continued to lash out and confront the four men in what was described as an “absolutely disgraceful” incident on August 23.
Others tried to hold Wainwright back, but he again attacked one of the group, and this he time picked the wrong man, who punched him to the ground and then kicked him, leaving Wainwright lying motionless and unconscious on the pavement.
Wainwright was arrested a short time later after he had come round and was taken to Scarborough District Hospital.
By about 5.50am, he seemed to have “calmed down” and police took the handcuffs off him in hospital.
Once the cuffs were off, Wainwright told officers he needed some “fresh air”.
Police allowed him to go outside the hospital building – but then he ran away.
“He was found at his gran’s very shortly afterwards, about 10 minutes later, having escaped,” added Mr Galley.
He later admitted starting a fight in the street “because of something said to him as the (other) males were coming down the hill”.
He was charged with affray and breaching a restraining order and non-molestation order which were in place to protect his ex-partner, who was with him on the day in question.
Wainwright, lately of Green Lane, Pontefract, admitted the offences and appeared for sentence on Friday, September 27.
He had previous convictions including arson, criminal damage and assault occasioning actual bodily harm which resulted in a suspended prison sentence and the restraining orders being imposed.
In those incidents, he went to his ex-partner’s home and, in separate incidents, set fire to her sofa and damaged her wardrobe and phone.
He then assaulted a man inside the property by punching him repeatedly.
The affray in Eastborough, on a “busy” street, was in breach of the suspended sentence and the restraining orders because Wainwright was banned from any contact with his ex-partner.
Defence barrister Michael Morley conceded that the affray was a “disgraceful incident” and that Wainwright had “squandered” the chance given to him by way of the suspended sentence.
Judge Sean Morris told Wainwright: “What happened here was an absolutely disgraceful piece of conduct.
"It was quite clear that some of these lads (whom Wainwright attacked) were quite young and while you may have ended up worse, you have only got yourself to blame for that.”
He said the man who kicked Wainwright on the ground was “very lucky” not to have been prosecuted himself for his part in the “nasty” incident.
Wainwright was jailed for two years, of which he will serve half behind bars before being released on prison licence.