A thug who was thrown out of a kebab shop for harassing women took revenge on one of the good Samaritans when he slashed at his neck with a piece of metal.

Jakey Smith was repeatedly bothering the women for money, telling them he was homeless before two men intervened to protect them.

CCTV footage showed the 26-year-old stumbling around inside Deno's Return kebab shop in Darlington town centre before being forcibly evicted from the takeaway.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Smith threw a flurry of punches at the men, one who was out celebrating his 20th wedding anniversary with his wife, before fleeing the scene.

Moments later the defendant was seen coming out of an alleyway armed with the metal object before aggressively storming towards the men and lashing out at one of them.

Ellen Wright, prosecuting, said: “The victim described the defendant as storming straight towards him and the defendant was seen to slash at him with the implement, making contact with his neck and causing him to fall backwards.

“As a result of the slashing he sustained a two-centimetre cut on his neck behind his ear and sought medical treatment at hospital.”

Deno's Return in DarlingtonDeno's Return in Darlington (Image: Google)

The court heard how Darlington Council CCTV operators saw the incident unfold and alerted the police who intercepted the defendant as he tried to flee the area.

Miss Wright said Smith kicked one of the officers in the face when they were trying to get him into the rear of a police van.

Jakey SmithJakey Smith (Image: Durham Constabulary)

Smith, of Sun Street, Darlington, pleaded guilty to two charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, possession of a pointed article and assault on an emergency worker.

Penny Hall, mitigating, said her client had reacted aggressively after he was grabbed by the throat and pushed out of the kebab shop.

She added: “The CCTV shows it is clear that the defendant is making a nuisance of himself in the takeaway and then we see the complainant grab him by the throat with both hands and forcibly remove him from the shop.

“Had that been the end of the matters it could have been the other way around as to who would have been in the dock.

“Of course, we then see what happens outside but clearly that is what leads to any violence taking place outside. It is not maintained that it was self-defence because it clearly went beyond that.”


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Recorder Aisha Wadoodi rejected the lawyer’s take on events before praising the actions of the good Samaritan and telling Smith that the responsibility for the violence was solely his.

She said: “You returned to the shop with something sharp in your hand, you are clearly angry and aggressive.

“You are described as storming towards them and made a slashing movement towards them and caused a cut to the man’s neck.”

Smith was jailed for a total of 18 months for all offences.