Jailed: Willesden waiter who punched two strangers ‘because he was in a bad mood’
Daniel Homawoo-Sokpe has been jailed for a year - Credit: PA Archive/Press Association Ima
A waiter from Willesden has been jailed for punching two strangers for ‘no reason at all’ because he was in a bad mood.
Daniel Homawoo-Sokpe, 26, of High Road, attacked the couple in ‘frustration’ after he rowed his best mate during a drinking session in the West End on July 6 last year.
Southwark Crown Court heard he was walking towards Leicester Square when he threw a powerful punch at Youseff Moujahid, who was out with his girlfriend, to vent his bad mood.
He then turned and punched Mr Moujahid’s girlfriend, Alexandra Bailey.
The punch broke Mr Moujahid’s jaw in two places, while Ms Bailey was knocked momentarily unconscious and suffered bruising and swelling to her face.
Homawoo-Sokpe, who has no previous convictions and is originally from France, was arrested at the scene.
Yesterday he appeared in court by video link from Wandsworth Prison.
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Michael Phillips, for Homawoo-Sokpe, told the court: “He (Homawoo-Sokpe) has done a lot of soul searching while in prison and realises he’s in a very different position to others inside – he’s totally shocked by what’s happened.”
Homawoo-Sokpe admitted one count of grievous bodily harm against Mr Moujahid and one count of actual bodily harm against Ms Bailey.
Jailing him 12 months, Judge Alistair McCreath said: “I accept that this was out of your usual character.
“You were also the worse for drink when you did it, which makes it more serious, not least because your frustration never would have spilled over into violence if you hadn’t been the worse for wear from drink.
“It’s the disinhibiting effect of alcohol that makes drunkenness an aggravating factor, another feature that makes it more serious is the random nature – these were two people just walking the streets who were violently attacked for no reason at all.”