Mansfield youth worker who left another man with life-changing injuries has appeal rejected

William Dennis appeared before the Royal Courts of Justice on Wednesday, March 17 to argue that the 14-month prison term he was given by Nottingham Crown Court was excessive.

Dennis knocked Perry Cranston out cold outside Wilko’s in Mansfield in the hours prior to the Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder fight on February 23 last year

Both men had been drinking and converged on Clumber Street in separate groups to await taxis to make their way home, Nottingham Crown Court was initially told when Dennis was jailed for 14 months in February.

The groups had been stood under a canopy and started talking and ‘bantering’ about the forthcoming fight but Dennis had ‘seen red’ after Mr Cranston made a remark about ‘white power’ – something he later denied saying.

Dennis then started swinging punches and dragged Mr Cranston into the middle of the road and punched him up to nine times – the last one knocking him out.

He fell to the floor and cracked his head on the kerb, causing bleeding to the brain.

Mr Cranston was rushed to King’s Mill Hospital and was then transferred to the intensive care unit at Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre, where medics battled to save his life.

He was subsequently left with memory problems and has to wear a crash helmet when he goes out to protect his skull after a steel plate that was fitted became infected and had to be removed.

Dennis, 23, of Kempton Road, Mansfield, admitted causing grievous bodily harm – but told police he had been an ongoing victim of racism growing up in Mansfield.

In mitigation, Adrian Reynolds argued the Recorder in the original sentencing had not taken into consideration the amount of good work Dennis had done in his role – contributing to the reduction of crime in his local area.

He also said the Recorder had not given enough consideration to suspending Dennis’ prison sentence, or to current conditions in prison caused by the Covid pandemic.

“The case focused too much on the consequences of the offence and not the cause,” he told the court.

Summing up the decision to reject the appeal, Judge Nirmal Shant QC told the court: “Following the incident, the police identified the appellant quickly and immediately before his arrest he told police ‘‘he had said white power’ and I flipped’. I’m fed up with it. People drive past me and shout n*****’.

"The CCTV footage showed the appellant throwing eight or nine blows and it cannot be said that this was a single blow. It cannot be said that this was a single punch because there was a determined attempt to injure him.”

She added that Mr Cranston also had ongoing issues with depression as a result of the attack, had lost his job and been forced to surrender his driving licence and was out of pocket to the tune of £14,000 due to lost earnings.

The High Court ruled that Dennis’ 14-month prison term will stand.

Editor’s message: In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together.