Yahoo News South Tyneside Metro station louts who targeted passengers in unprovoked attacks jailed
Boorish Metro station louts who terrorised two innocent members of the public have been jailed.
Two men were targeted in separate unprovoked attacks while going about their business in South Tyneside after having the misfortune to encounter siblings Colin and Amber Dunn and Kurtis Wiscombe.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the offences happened on Sunday November 5 last year at Hebburn Metro station and were caught on CCTV. Two friends were waiting for a train when the three yobs got off a Metro and started calling one of them a "nonce" for no reason.
When that man got on the Metro, they turned on his friend, who was still on the platform, calling him a "nonce". Colin Dunn then approached him and punched him in the face and Wiscombe and Amber Dunn joined in the punching and kicking attack.
They began to walk off before Amber Dunn turned back and tried to grab the victim, who pushed her away, at which point Wiscombe said "get your hands off my lass" and punched him two or three times.
Colin Dunn then demanded the man's money, then his bag, before Amber Dunn alerted the others to security cameras in the area.
The victim was left with a split lip. He said in a statement: "This incident left me feeling frustrated. I use the Metro all the time and rely on it for transport, particularly to attend my place of work.
"This was totally random and unprovoked. I'm now more aware of my surroundings. This has made me worry and I'm very aware of people being loud on public transport.
"This was a totally random attack which shows any member of the public was not safe from them. This could have been so much worse for me when there were moving trains in the area."
As the trio left the Metro station, the encountered another man. Colin Dunn repeatedly punched him with a left hook and the victim was kicked and stamped on. Wiscombe shouted a racist insult as he walked away.
That victim said: "I felt scared because I was cornered. My arm was badly swollen.
"I'm confused about why I was attacked by them - I was doing nothing to affect them. I'm just trying to live my life and this has affected me"
Police were called and the three of them were arrested. Amber Dunn kicked the back window of a police car, damaging it.
Colin Dunn, who has 44 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to robbery and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, Kurtis Wiscombe, who has five previous convictions, admitted racially aggravated harassment alarm or distress and assault occasioning actual bodily harm and Amber Dunn, who has 53 previous convictions, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage.
Colin Dunn, 28, of Belgrave Terrace, South Shields, was jailed for 40 months and Wiscombe, 27, of no fixed address, was locked up for 20 months. Amber Dunn, 25, of Fairless Street, South Shields, will be sentenced at a later date, when mitigation on her behalf will also be heard.
Sentencing the two men, Judge Stephen Earl said: "The behaviour each of you demonstrated on that day was, frankly, appalling. It was an unprovoked attack on two unsuspecting people who you didn't know. This sort of loutish, boorish behaviour cannot be tolerated."
Robin Turton, for Colin Dunn, said: "He had stayed out of trouble for five years. He had a blip and returned to cocaine and was intoxicated through drink on this day, having been on what's commonly called a bender.
"He has no recollection of the events and is embarrassed and ashamed about how he behaved. He would like to write a letter to the victim apologising for the way he behaved. He is deeply sorry for what he has done wrong and wants to do his best to once again stay out of trouble in the long term."
Jennifer Coxon, for Wiscombe, said he has autism and accepts his behaviour needs to change.
