A Metro passenger was left with facial fractures after being set upon in a row over Covid masks.
The victim was travelling from Newcastle Central Station when three men got on at Pelaw on the afternoon of Sunday May 2 last year. None were wearing masks, despite passengers being encouraged to do so and James Rutherford was swigging from a can of beer.
A court heard the victim politely asked if the trio were exempt from wearing masks. Rutherford claimed one of them had COPD and said Covid was not real and the victim said he wore a mask despite having asthma. He was then subjected to violence on the train in Jarrow.
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Sentencing Rutherford at Newcastle Crown Court, Recorder Andrew Latimer said: "A verbal dispute arose about wearing masks and you tried to take his mask off him and told him you would smash his face.
"The three of you descended on him and you admit slapping him and others hit him. He was left with three fractures to his cheek and eye socket and had six weeks off work. You can imagine how painful that would have been for him.
"The victim personal statement makes clear the continuing impact it's had on him. You played your part in that affray even if you didn't land the blows that caused the worst of the injuries."
Other passengers intervened in the incident, which went on for around 15 minutes.
Rutherford, 21, of Eglesfield Road, South Shields, pleaded guilty to affray and a separate charge of having a bladed article in a pub in Sunderland. He was jailed for a total of 15 months.
The court he has a previous conviction for assault and was on a cocktail of drugs and alcohol at the time of the latest offending.
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