Thug Harry Prime's 'haymaker' left Chicago Rock Cafe clubber needing surgery
A TEENAGER seriously injured a man in an unprovoked attack at a city centre nightspot.
Thug Harry Prime left Christopher Burton needing plates inserted in his face after the violent assault in Chicago Rock Cafe, in Trinity Street, Hanley.
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Prosecutor Fiona Cortese yesterday told Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court Mr Burton was sat in a booth minding his own business when Prime approached.
“There was a short conversation and they shook hands,” said Miss Cortese.
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“The defendant then punched Mr Burton to the face and was pulled away. He punched him a second time before he was pulled away again.”
Police outside the club noticed blood on Mr Burton’s shirt, a cut to his left cheek and a swollen and black eye.
Officers spoke to Prime but he said he had not been in Chicago Rock Cafe. However, they noticed the teenager had a swollen right hand and he was arrested after they watched the club’s CCTV.
Mr Burton went to hospital where a CT scan revealed a fracture and decompression of an inner orbital nerve. In his victim statement he said he had to have two plates inserted.
He has also lost his confidence and has been left paranoid.
Prime, aged 18, of Cheadle Road, Blythe Bridge, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm on April 14.
Rebecca Wade, mitigating, said Prime was doing well at university and a sentence of immediate custody would jeopardise his career.
Miss Wade said Prime was ashamed of his behaviour.
“He was drunk, it was out of character. He has not been out on a night since,” said Miss Wade.
She added: “The defendant is well educated and has a future full of promise.”
Judge Paul Glenn told Prime he was lucky not to be charged with grievous bodily harm.
“You should have been,” said Judge Glenn. “You have come as close as one could have to going to immediate custody today.”
But the judge accepted the violence was out of character and sentenced Prime to four months in custody suspended for 12 months with 200 hours unpaid work.
He also made the teenager the subject of a 12-month exclusion order from Chicago Rock Cafe and ordered him to pay £2,500 compensation and £1,200 costs.
Judge Glenn said: “This is yet another example of mindless violence by young men who can’t hold their drink.
“You launched a totally unprovoked assault striking him a haymaker.
“He had made no aggressive gesture towards you at any stage.”
Comments
by oatcakesnched
Thursday, December 06 2012, 10:23PM
“how deluded you all are! too high and mighty to admit that it's our whole booze culture that's the er growing problem. the guilty party seems like a genuinely nice lad, booze takes over and you become someone else completely, i bet he couldn't remember what he'd done next day and is regretting his genuine mistake every second of every day and will be for years to come. Blame the system not this poor kid.”
by UmBongo
Monday, November 19 2012, 1:22PM
“Kids and cheap booze.
We're plying young people with nasty cheap booze and turning them out onto the streets when theyve necked as much as they can and emptied their wallets.
What do you expect? But of course, there's money to be made.
Shame we have to foot the bill with an overstretched NHS incapable of handling the vast swathes of alcohol related injuries and incidents.”
by snowyboy
Thursday, November 15 2012, 9:03PM
“The use of the word "Haymaker" is something you expect to here from a thug, bragging about a punch he had just knocked some one down with, not from from a crown court judge. This thug should have received a sentence that matched the damage he inflicted on his victim and not how he is doing at university or how bright his future is. How bright is his victims future since the assault?”
by ChrisJB1993
Thursday, November 15 2012, 5:27PM
“I'm not sure on what has offended me more the bad justice given or the fact that i had to find out for myself over browsing the internet of what was going on over the whole case, This here is the first i have heard, no letter, no phone call, nothing.”
by Nottelling
Wednesday, November 14 2012, 2:08PM
“How interesting!!! how the tabels have turned, I seem to recall the mother of the named offender calling a local group of people " scum of the village" for been in the same situation!!! maybe his mother will think the same about him!!!”
by PaulF430
Monday, November 12 2012, 4:34PM
“Reminds me of a few years back, about 9 youths approached 2 friends and I outside Chicago Rock, giving the abuse they normally do. Needless to say they soon ran off after one of them fell into a fist.
These kids will learn some day to respect one another.”
by stokeandvale
Monday, November 12 2012, 12:43PM
“To beat someone up for nothing until they needed to have metal plates inserted there skull and not go to prison defies belief.”
by warren-lloyd
Monday, November 12 2012, 8:02AM
“Waste of a good education.”
by A_Reader
Sunday, November 11 2012, 3:11PM
“Do we really want violent thugs at university?”
by SmellySock
Saturday, November 10 2012, 9:40PM
“disgusting 'sentence' to say the least! he will never see a penny from this vile individual. the judge has stuck his fingers up to the victim & saluted the cowardly thug..'judge' you need to retire cause in the uk crime Does pay & he will do it again given time,,he should off got at least 3 yrs for this cowardly attack,he now has the green light to re offend, i don't know the victim but if he reads this i say stay strong don't let this thug ruin your life..”