Thug knocked out innocent brothers in shocking street violence
A drunken troublemaker with a long history of violence viciously knocked two brothers unconscious during nasty and separate attacks on them in the street while they were just "minding their own business". When police caught up with him, brazen Alex Little attempted to slip the net by giving a false name. The aggressive bully did everything that he could to avoid taking responsibility for his brutal actions.
The attacks had taken a severe toll on the brothers, Hull Crown Court[1] heard. Little, 34, admitted two offences of assault, causing actual bodily harm, on January 21 last year. Michael Masson, prosecuting, said that the two brothers had been out drinking with friends in several pubs in Driffield.
Little was also out and went in the Buck Inn and the Star Inn. He was playing pool in one of the pubs and words were exchanged with the brothers. The two brothers were later approached by Little and others.
A man was heard saying: "This is his fault", before the situation escalated. "One of the brothers attempted to run away," said Mr Masson. One of them was knocked unconscious during a confrontation in the street. He was taken to Scarborough Hospital by ambulance.
He was drifting in and out of consciousness and had grazes and bumps. His glasses were broken. He needed these for work.
The other brother was also hit in the face near his eye and he believed that he might have lost consciousness, but his memory of the incident was vague. He was also taken to the same hospital suffering grazes to his forehead and eye areas. The brothers were helped by members of the public.
The landlord of the Star Inn later gave Little's name and a Google search revealed a picture of him. One of the brothers confirmed that this was the man who had assaulted him. Little was picked out at an identity parade from nine others and he was later arrested.
He denied that his name was Alex Little and he gave a false name. "He denied that he was, in fact, Alex Little," said Mr Masson. Little claimed that the two brothers had been "saying weird stuff" in one of the pubs and that he had told a doorman about this. "He denied being aggressive or assaulting anyone at any point," said Mr Masson. "He denied causing any injury." He had convictions for 16 previous offences, including assault causing actual bodily harm and assault in November 2021.
He also had convictions for assault causing actual bodily harm in 2006, possessing an offensive weapon and threatening behaviour in 2007, assault causing actual bodily harm in 2009, assault in 2011 and using violence to enter premises in 2017. Michael Forrest, mitigating, said that Little had been drinking that night. "He is deeply remorseful and blames no one but himself," said Mr Forrest. "It's only himself to blame. "Alcohol is a crutch and it has been a more or less constant in his offending.
He has limited his drinking and intends to rid himself of alcohol use going forward." Judge Tahir Khan KC told Little: "The only sentence that can properly be justified for these two offences is one of immediate custody. You have a history of violent offending.
You have a bad record and there is no getting away from that. "That history of violent offending over a number of years is what drives me to the conclusion that I cannot deal with you by way of a community order or a suspended sentence order. "Both victims were, as far as I can see, minding their own business when you assaulted each of them and knocked certainly one of them unconscious.
The other says in his statement that he was knocked out. This is serious violence against two individuals, who both suffered the effects of being knocked out. "It was violence in a public place.
It's clear from the CCTV that one of the brothers was running away and being chased. You did everything to avoid facing up to your responsibility. "It was only at trial that you pleaded guilty to these two assaults.
You were clearly under the influence of alcohol at the time of these assaults." Little, of Robson Rise, Driffield, was jailed for two-and-a-half years.
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