Violent thief from Whitby jailed for assault after judge activates suspended sentence

A violent thief who floored a man with a single blow has been jailed after a judge activated an existing suspended prison sentence, for breaking his partner’s nose.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Jacob Smith, 26, from Whitby, struck the man a mighty blow to the side of his face after the victim had confronted Smith’s female friend of walking off with his mother’s shopping bags, York Crown Court heard.

Smith and his female acquaintance had been travelling on the X93 Middlesbrough-to-Whitby bus on November 18 last year when the victim’s mother realised that her shopping bags had vanished from the front of the bus, said prosecutor Kelly Sheriff.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

When Smith and his friend got off the bus at Scaling Dam, they were chased by the woman’s son, realising it was Smith’s female acquaintance who had taken the bags.

Jacob Luke SmithJacob Luke Smith
Jacob Luke Smith

“When he approached the female and confronted her about the bag, the female was shouting and swearing at him,” said Ms Sheriff.

It was at this point that Smith punched the man in the face and knocked him to the ground.

“The defendant said, ‘Do you want another one?’,” added Ms Sheriff.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Smith and the woman walked off, followed by the victim, until the pair slipped down a dark alleyway.

Ms Sheriff said the victim suffered reddening to his eye and nose, as well as facial pains.

Police were called and Smith was seen attacking the man on CCTV, but he then went on a thieving spree in Whitby while under police investigation for the assault.

On December 8, he and the unnamed female went into the Food Warehouse in Whitby town centre where they stole a joint of meat.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They went back into the store about five hours later and stole another joint.

Two days later, they took another joint of meat from the same shop.

Ms Sheriff said their method was to buy other, low-value goods before walking off without paying for the meat.

On December 20, Smith and the woman went back into the store for a fourth time, but on this occasion the store manager knew what they were up to and recognised them.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He confronted them at the till and looked through their bags.

The female handed over turkey and gammon joints but, due to their aggressive behaviour, the manager was forced to let them leave the store, while calling police.

Ms Sheriff said the total value of the stolen items came to just under £120.

Smith, of Runswick Avenue, Whitby, was arrested nearby after getting into a taxi.

Stolen items were found inside the boot.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He was charged with common assault, three counts of theft and breaching a suspended prison sentence.

He admitted all charges and appeared for sentence via video link on Tuesday after being remanded in custody.

Ms Sheriff said Smith had 14 previous convictions for 20 offences including violence and theft.

He received the 15-month suspended prison sentence in July last year for assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The victim, Smith’s former partner, rang 999 after he attacked her in the flat they shared in December 2019.

She suffered a broken and bloodied nose and bruising to her face.

When police arrived, they found the flat in “disarray”, strewn with broken furniture.

Cheryl Dudley, mitigating, said Smith had been diagnosed with an emotionally unstable mental disorder but had also abused alcohol and prescription drugs.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She said his offences could be explained by his substance misuse and that he appeared to be “unsteady on his feet” on the video footage.

Judge Simon Hickey said Smith had struck the man a “heavy blow” and then had the audacity to go on a thieving spree while under investigation.

Smith was jailed for 15 months. He will serve half of that sentence behind bars before being released on prison licence.