A man aged 62 was left partially sighted when he was struck repeatedly in the face after confronting a gang of teenagers outside his home, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

James Scorgie left his victim needing complex surgery on his left eye after attacking him in Cliffe Road, Brighouse, on May 6, 2018.

Scorgie, who was 18 at the time and is 6ft 4 inches tall, landed three blows leaving the man’s sight permanently damaged, prosecutor Glenn Parsons said.

Scorgie, now 20, of Thornhill Road, Brighouse, denied wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and the Crown accepted his guilty plea to the lessor offence of unlawful wounding.

He was sentenced to 21 months in a young offender institution, suspended for two years, with 200 hours of unpaid work. He was ordered to pay his victim £1,000 compensation.

Scorgie, who was on bail, was sentenced using the Skype system.

The court heard he had turned his life around in the more than two years since committing the offence. He worked as a window cleaner, he was in a stable relationship and he had stayed out of trouble.

Mr Parsons said the complainant was about to enjoy a barbecue with his family when he heard glass smashing in his front garden.

A group of up to 15 teenagers in the street swore at him when he challenged them.

It was accepted that he may have struck Scorgie first but then he felt a sharp pain in his lip and, when he was hit again, in his eye.

Scorgie landed a third blow before walking off leaving the man’s daughter, who witnessed the attack, screaming in terror.

Police and paramedics were called and the man was treated in Calderdale Hospital. It was feared he might lose the sight of his left eye as the vision was down to 35%.

He ran a car valeting business with his wife and was unable to help her with the business or do any reading.

Afterwards, the family felt unable to sit out in their garden anymore, Mr Parsons said.

Scorgie had five convictions for nine offences, dating back to when he was 13, but only one for violence, a common assault, and nothing since the offence.

His solicitor advocate, Saf Salam, said Scorgie was arrested soon after the incident but not charged for 17 months.

He did not do the damage that caused the man to confront the group. He believed he was singled out because he was much taller than his friends.

Scorgie had suffered a traumatic childhood, witnessing frequent violence that had shaped his young life.

Judge Jonathan Rose said Scorgie’s victim was entitled to enjoy himself at home with his family without it being spoilt by the loutish behaviour of teenagers hanging round in the street.

He conceded that Scorgie did not intend to cause him really serious injury but he had left him with permanent damage to his left eye.

But Scorgie had since turned his life around. He was in full time employment and had committed no offences since.

He had used the inexplicably long delay in the case coming to court to turn his life around.