Man jailed over Halifax town centre attack that left victim on liquid diet

Brett Tasker’s victim, who he had known since childhood, was left slumped on his crutches and bleeding in Fountain Street in Halifax town centre, and later had to have teeth removed and two metal plates fitted to repair his damaged jaw.

Bradford Crown Court heard today (Thursday) that the complainant was restricted to a liquid diet for some weeks after the broad daylight attack in March this year.

Recorder Ian Mullarkey said the man had been plainly vulnerable because he had been using crutches at the time.

Prosecutor Lauren Smith said Tasker, of no fixed abode, had approached his victim at about 3.30pm that day and punched him once in the face.

When the complainant asked why he had done it, Tasker made a reference to his own girlfriend and added: “When I see you again, I will break your other leg.”

Miss Smith said the complainant had to stay in hospital for three days after the attack and later returned for surgery to his broken jaw.

The court heard that Tasker, who had previous convictions, later sent messages apologising for the attack, but when he was questioned by police he denied being involved and gave them a false alibi.

On the day of his trial Tasker admitted a charge of causing grievous bodily harm and today he was jailed for 32 months.

Barrister Abigail Langford, for Tasker, said his last conviction for an offence of violence was back in 2015 and she accepted that her client had “overreacted”.

She said Tasker was remorseful and sorry and described the attack as “a momentary lapse of self control” by him.

Recorder Mullarkey told Tasker via a prison video link: "The complainant was plainly vulnerable by reason of using crutches at the time.”

He said Tasker’s victim had suffered permanent and irreversible injury due to the loss of teeth and he noted that the defendant had been in breach of an existing community order at the time.

The judge said Tasker was entitled to a 10 per cent discount on the three year starting point for sentence due to his guilty plea on the day of trial.