Hull city centre at risk of becoming 'ghetto'
Hull city centre is at risk of becoming a "young person's ghetto" unless something is done to curb drunken violence, a judge has warned.
Judge Jeremy Richardson QC said violence on the streets "frightens and alarms ordinary and decent people".
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A judge says the conduct of drunken young men and women 'frightens and alarms ordinary, decent people'.
He made the comments as he sentenced two men who hurled racist abuse during separate drunken attacks in Hull.
Dale Ellerby, 20, and James Rollinson, 18, had both been drinking when they became involved in fights in the city centre.
Hull Crown Court heard Rollinson, an apprentice, kicked the door of a pizza shop in the early hours of July 24 last year before punching and kicking the owner.
He made a racist comment towards the owner before punching another employee, the court was told.
Ellerby, an apprentice engineer, pushed a woman against a window after becoming involved in an argument with her in the city centre on October 17 last year.
He also called her a racist name, the court was told.
Both admitted racially aggravated assaults.
Judge Richardson QC said: "Regrettably there is much low level violence in the centres of major conurbations frequently, but not exclusively, involving young men fuelled by alcohol during or after a night out.
"The city of Hull is no exception. This form of conduct frightens and alarms ordinary and decent people.
"It would be a sad day indeed if the city centre simply became a young persons' ghetto each evening because of other citizens being worried about the level of violence."
Both Ellerby and Rollinson had no previous convictions.
Rollinson was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and was handed a four-month curfew between 8pm and 7am.
Ellerby must complete 120 hours of unpaid work and was handed a two-month curfew between 8pm and 5.30am.
16 Comments
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by Wozadad
Monday, September 12 2011, 1:01PM
“Does this Judge Jeremy Richardson QC reflect on his own contribution regarding these people.?
After all the riots around the country were blamed on the lack of authoritative parenting within the family unit or at least some were..!
He seems too egar to eradicate the father when he sits the family court..
So it seems he does lend a hand to both sides ...
Maybe to keep him self in a job we all know how had it is to come by work these days...
And a big thankyou to PC Plod and his generalised opinion of society...
This is the cause of the down fall of this country prats like this..
My guess a young wannabe Dirty Harry if he is a pig..
The first to criticize and the last to help...
Police arn't exempt from causing trouble and getting away with it are they..?”
by dave, hull
Thursday, March 04 2010, 8:22PM
“hurray for the daily mail for misreporting facts again!
if you are set upon by 3 people as ellerby was, surely thats assault on the 3 people's part?? racism is disgusting, but as far as i know ellerby is in no way a racist.
what if a white man was being racially abused?? is he allowed to attack someone on the basis that hes being racially abused!? if not, surely thats double standards on the CPS/Judge's behalf!!!!!”
by George, Hull
Wednesday, March 03 2010, 3:16PM
“Jaybo, Hull - your comments are correct. The thing is these days people are going out not to have a drink but with the sole intention of getting pi55ed.
Now don't get me wrong, I've been drunk a few times in my life but I have never gone out with the sole intention of getting my self in such a state that I act like a moron & that seems to be the difference these days.
Most kids these days are drinking at home before they go out & are drunk before they even get to town.”
by Charlie, Always within striking distance.
Wednesday, March 03 2010, 12:53PM
“Nail 'em up! Nail some sense into 'em!”
by Jaybo, Hull
Wednesday, March 03 2010, 11:41AM
“I was only discussing this with my younger brother in law last night, when I used to go out back in the early nineties, you never saw trouble, city centre was lively with lots of pubs about, they all had last orders at 11.30 then you went to a night club either ritzy, tower or la`s, the drinks where cheaper back then and the nightclubs where £3 to get in, if you spent up you where happy to walk home no matter how far it was as long as you had a bag of chips. Nowadays you see kids going out for a fight they have 3 pints and want to take everyone on, I just dont get it, whats happened in the last 10 years? Oh hang on a Labour government. I wont go round town anymore generally because of the thugs and the pubs are no longer any good they are just full of paraletic kids looking to knock your pint so you start with them. I enjoyed my days of going out but I do feel sorry for the genuine people who just want to go out and have a drink with mates and pull some bird or bloke. I was jumped by three kids I had never seen before in my life whilst walking for a taxi, unluckily for them they set on the wrong man and i sorted them out, but If i had been someone who couldnt fight back I could be dead now. It needs tougher policing, tougher laws and bigger fines, also licensing hours needs to go back to the half elevens. Its easy but as someone said earlier unfortunately a lot of these thugs are now brainwashed by tv and what they see, I worry for this countrys future with nutters like this around.”
by PC Plod, Queens Gardens nick
Wednesday, March 03 2010, 11:16AM
“I hate to say it because I believe anyone should be able to do as they wish, within the law, but ever since the unlimited drinking hours and the promotiom of 'ladish' behaviour, through stupid TV adds and programmes, behaviour has descended into anything but ladish. All self respect or respect for anyone or anything, has gone to the wall, because schools and parfents have let these people down. we're left with a poppulation of uneducated morons. it's not entirely their fault, either.
We have idiots leaving school who can't even read or write, and because they can't even hold a conversation, the only way they can attract attention or show the world that they exist is to behave like a fool. They don't have the sense to treat anyone as they would like to be treat themselve.
Monkey see, monkey do, is the only way they know how to behave, they don't know the difference between TV and real life.
Until something changes, we have to live with it.
Hull centre is a toilet though, I must admit. I wouldn't live there if it was rent free....which, for lots of the bums, it is.
Ah well, back to work, pay me poll tax for that lot.”
by Ranter, Hull.
Wednesday, March 03 2010, 11:11AM
“Well said fed up.and George. The Judges remarks show its been a long time since he went on a pub crawl with his mates, and saw for himself what Hull City Centre has become. It IS a young peoples ghetto, with not many decent people daring to go anymore. He should also ask the many victims of the regular violence if they think it was "low level".”
by fed up, Hull
Wednesday, March 03 2010, 10:21AM
“Clown Richardson, if you and your ilk gave out decent deterrent sentences to these scum we mightget soemwhere, Clowns like you talk big, tell the suspect what they did was unacceptable, left the vicimt feeling terrible blah blah blah, then do nothing about it. Do something about it in future you muppet.”
by Jaybo, Hull
Wednesday, March 03 2010, 9:49AM
“You can clearly see where the problem lies.
Every time an incident like this happens look at the ages of the people involved always 17 - 22 years old , I know everyone in this category doesnt cause trouble but maybe its time to make all pubs in town over 25`s only, then we can stop these drunkent thug teenagers causing trouble and if they do get caught lock em up overnight, put them in court the next morning and put em away for a week teach them a lesson cos £80 fines clearly dont work.”
by George, Hull
Wednesday, March 03 2010, 9:36AM
“I agreee with some of the other comments on here, how does a judge slam the behaviour yet then they only dish out "slap on the wrist" sentences ?
It's up to the judges to to hand down proper jail terms to the scum in this City then we might see some improvement.
Come on judges in Hull, show us decent law-abiding folk that you have some backbone instead of using harsh words that will just be laughed at.”