Teen's firefighter dream destroyed by punch attack

Leon Appleton attacked an 18-year-old man outside Gatsby in Sunderland

A teenager's dream of becoming a firefighter was destroyed when he was repeatedly punched in an unprovoked attack, a court has heard.

The 18-year-old suffered major eye issues including a detached retina when he was attacked by Leon Appleton in Sunderland City Centre on 1 July 2023, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Appleton, 21 and from Shildon, punched the victim who had "no chance to defend himself", 10 times in the head and face, the court heard.

He admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm and was jailed for 21 months suspended for two years, with a judge saying he should be "utterly ashamed".

The teenager was talking to a woman in a bar in Sunderland when he noticed the defendant and another man staring at him, prosecutor Nicoleta Alistari said.

The victim and his friend moved to another bar, Gatsby, where Appleton aggressively approached him and asked the teenager to go outside, the court heard.

'Gratuitous violence'

Having never been in a fight before and knowing he had done nothing wrong, the young man went outside with Appleton where he was attacked entirely unprovoked, the court heard.

He suffered a severe injury to his eye which required multiple operations to treat, Ms Alistari said.

In a statement read to the court, the victim said his dreams of becoming a firefighter had been "taken from him" and he was no longer that "happy confident person" who thought the best of everyone.

He said he had lost what should have been the best days of his young adult life and he had been punished while his attacker got to "carry on with his life".

Appleton, of Spruce Court, claimed he could not remember what he did but Recorder Toby Hedworth KC gave that short shrift.

"I do not accept someone who behaved in that way has no recollection of what went on," the judge said, adding the violence had been "quite gratuitous" against a young man who was "completely blameless" and had "no chance to defend himself".

Recorder Hedworth said Appleton, who had a previous conviction for affray, should be "utterly ashamed" of himself.

But the judge said he feared jailing Appleton would just cause him to be more violent in the future and the public would be better served if he worked with the probation service to address and understand his behaviour and actions.