Trio of Skegness teenagers carry out '˜unprovoked' attack on complete strangers

Liam Conneely of North Parade, Joe Denny of The Meadows and Leighton Jarratt of Cross Street,all 19, admitted assaulting Stefan Goffnett and Steven Maynard by beating in Lumley Road on January 28 when they appeared at Skegness Magistrates’ Court.

In addition, Conneely admitted theft of money from a meter at North Parade Social Club on January 25 and also admitted he had breached a conditional discharge imposed for assaulting his father just a day before the present assault charges.

Dan Pietryka, prosecuting, said it had been an ‘unprovoked’ attack on the two men.

Mr Goffnett remembered only being attacked from behind after a night out in Skegness and Mr Maynard said he had been out with his girlfriend and had seen something happening, had challenged the three men responsible for the assault and then been punched himself in the face and body.

Mr Pietryka said Mr Goffnett had a swollen and bloody nose and Mr Maynard a swollen and red right eye as a result of the attack.

After the three were arrested, Jarrett said they had been in the Stumble Inn and had had ‘a lot to drink’ and that he just wanted ‘to take on all the world’.

Denny had admitted to being ‘very, very drunk’ but said he was ‘not a fighter’ and couldn’t remember what had happened.

“I was just dragged into it,” he told the court.

Conneely said he had not gone out looking for a fight and alleged he himself had been headbutted and was acting in self-­defence.

Mitigating for Jarratt, Rachel Woodcock said he had never been arrested or in court before and was ‘mortified by what has happened’.

Mark Hudson, for Conneely, said he had been placed on a conditional discharge the day before this assault after a fight with his father, and he had stolen the money from the meter when he was homeless and needed money for food.

He said Conneely’s memory was that his friend was ‘in trouble’ and he had gone to help him and get him away but he was himself assaulted and left with a lump on his head.

Yesterday (Tuesday), the magistrates imposed 12 month community orders on all three with 100 hours of unpaid work for the community for Jarratt and Denny and 150 hours plus a 10 day rehabilitation requirement for Conneely.

They were also all ordered to each pay £145 in costs and charges and to pay a total of £100 each in compensation to be divided equally between the two victims.