Sentences follow attack in Ayresome Gardens
Two women have been sentenced after a violent assault on a 70-year-old man who was walking his dog in a Middlesbrough park earlier this year. The episode, which left the pensioner with facial injuries and affected vision, took place in Ayresome Gardens on the evening of 9 March.
Court details show the defendant Leanne Yates, 41, repeatedly kicked and stamped on the victim after he was knocked to the ground. Chloe Thompson, 27, was filmed pulling the man from grass onto the pavement while other members of the group struck him and searched his pockets. The group took a satchel that proved to hold only a dog lead, dog bags, a hat and gloves.
- Victim: male, aged 70, walking two dogs; returned home and was taken to hospital where photographs recorded bruising and a cut.
- Location: Ayresome Gardens, Middlesbrough. Date of incident: 9 March.
- Defendants: Leanne Yates (41) and Chloe Thompson (27). Both were part of a larger group present at the scene.
- Police evidence included CCTV footage showing the assault; both women were found to be carrying drugs when arrested.
The prosecution described footage in which a man in the group delivered blows to the victim’s face, knocking him down. The same man struck again after an initial exchange, while footage captured Thompson
"dragging and pulling [the victim] from the grass area onto the pavement"and Yates
"stamping and kicking him". The court heard the group rifled through the victim’s pockets and later discarded the satchel when they discovered its contents.
Prison terms handed down
At Teesside Crown Court, Yates was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison. Thompson received a sentence of three years. The attack was prosecuted as an attempted robbery alongside assault charges. Photographs taken after the assault showed a swollen right eye, bruising beneath the other eye and a large cut on the cheek; the victim reported his
"vision was affected"following the incident.
| Name | Age | Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Leanne Yates | 41 | 3 years 9 months |
| Chloe Thompson | 27 | 3 years |
The victim initially told the group he had no money when they approached him earlier that evening. After returning home with one of his dogs, he went back to the park to walk the second dog and encountered the group on a pathway. He attempted to move aside to let them pass when the assault began, the court heard.
Cleveland Police have been involved in the investigation; the case formed part of proceedings at Teesside Crown Court where prosecutors set out the CCTV evidence and described the sequence of events leading to the injuries.
Local concerns and context
The attack has drawn attention to safety in public green spaces in Middlesbrough, particularly for older residents and those walking alone or with animals. The fact the group discarded the victim’s satchel once they saw it contained only everyday items underlines that the assault was not about valuable property alone but a sustained act of violence.
Sentences in cases of this kind send a clear message about the consequences of targeted street violence, but they also prompt questions for local authorities, policing partners and community groups about preventing similar incidents. Many residents use Ayresome Gardens and other parks as part of daily routines; reassurance for vulnerable groups and visible patrols are often cited locally as measures that improve confidence and deter offending.
Local people may expect police and council representatives to review patrol patterns and community safety measures in the wake of such attacks. For now, two women have been removed from the community for a substantial period and a 70-year-old man continues his recovery after a terrifying assault while doing nothing more than walking his dog.
