Shopper left with broken jaw after couple's attack in Scarborough supermarket

The male victim was shopping at Aldi in Northway when Yvonne Hill, 45, came up behind him and subjected him to a torrent of abuse, York Crown Court heard.

She tried to slap him repeatedly as he moved backwards and tried to get out of the store with his trolley, said prosecutor Rob Galley.

Hill grabbed him and he tripped her up to defend himself. Hill fell to the floor but then her partner Andrew Henry, 42, joined in, throwing punches and following the man to his car.

As the victim tried to get in his car and fend him off, Henry struck him with a blow which fractured his jaw.

A female witness said she saw the terrified victim, who was named in court, running away from Henry. The woman called police and the couple were arrested.

The victim had to be put on morphine and given other painkillers in hospital where he underwent surgery to have his jaw fixed with plates. He also suffered bleeding and swelling to his eye and mouth, headaches, tinnitus and two of his teeth had been knocked loose, said Mr Galley.

The barrister said that Hill, of Nelson Street, had a beef with the victim because of an alleged previous incident many years ago involving him and one of her family members.

Hill admitted she had been drinking before the incident at about 6.20pm on August 19, and that she had seen red when she spotted the victim at the check-out.

Henry, of Ling Hill, Newby, told police his “blood boiled” when he saw the victim “push” his partner to the floor in self-defence.

The couple appeared for sentence on Wednesday after Henry pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent and Hill admitted one count of common assault.

The court heard that Henry had multiple previous convictions for violence including assaulting a police officer, threatening behaviour, wounding and affray. Hill had two previous convictions for battery.

Judge Andrew Stubbs QC said it was a “disgrace” that a man out doing his shopping on a Saturday evening should be attacked in such a violent manner.

He said, however, that he could suspend the inevitable jail sentence in Henry’s case because the Probation Service was confident that he could be rehabilitated.

Henry was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence with 100 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £250 compensation to the victim. Hill was given 40 hours’ unpaid work and ordered to pay a victim surcharge.

In addition, Mr Stubbs made a five-year restraining order which prohibits the couple from contacting the victim.