The Space Leeds: Man stamped on victim's head during 10-man brawl outside city centre nightclub

By Charles Gray
Published 26th Oct 2022, 16:30 BST
Updated 26th Oct 2022, 18:14 BST
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A Leeds man has been sentenced for stamping on another man’s head during a chaotic 10-man melee outside of a nightclub in the city centre.

Police were flagged down by bouncers at The Space on Hirst’s Yard at 4am on November 21, 2021 and alerted to a large fight taking place in a nearby alleyway.

They could hear screaming and discovered a melee involving 10 men, one of which was 20-year-old Malachi Williams of Burmantofts, who was seen standing over a male and stamping on his head.

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Williams’ sister was seen trying to drag her brother away before police grabbed him. Williams escaped though – tearing his shirt in the process – and ran off towards Briggate, throwing down barriers as he did so to try and impede the police officers chasing him.

Police were alerted by bouncers to the brawl in an alleyway near The SpacePolice were alerted by bouncers to the brawl in an alleyway near The Space
Police were alerted by bouncers to the brawl in an alleyway near The Space

After a lengthy chase he was stopped by a member of the public and police found him “covered in blood”.

The identity of the man that Williams stamped on was not established but he was charged with affray and pleaded guilty. He was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday (October 25).

In mitigation, the court heard that Williams had not instigated the fight and was only trying to find his friend amid the crowd of bodies when a man “came in his direction and barged his head in to his stomach area”. The man then fell to the floor and Williams stamped on his head.

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Williams said that seeing CCTV of the incident had left him “horrified by the footage and the fact he had acted in that way”.

The brawl happened in an alleyway in Leeds city centreThe brawl happened in an alleyway in Leeds city centre
The brawl happened in an alleyway in Leeds city centre

Statements given by friends and family of Williams described him as “caring and compassionate” and “someone that goes out of his for other people”. He also had no previous convictions.

Sentencing Williams, Judge Robin Mairs said that the stamp could have had “disastrous consequences”, adding: “This court has seen time and time again manslaughter or murder cases where people are kicked or stamped on the head and the awful consequences you get.

"There was no need for you to get involved in this.”

He sentenced Williams to eight months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, and ordered him to carry 120 hours of unpaid work. He was also oredered to pay £85 to the court.