Man jailed for homophobic attack on female couple

A man who carried out a vicious late night homophobic street attack on a female couple has been sent to prison.

Ross Paterson, 29, was involved as Laura Price was dragged into an alleyway, close to Penrith Leisure Centre, where she had her head jumped on and kicked "like a football".

Moments earlier drunken Paterson had spat derogatory homophobic abuse towards Miss Price and her partner, Yazmin Wood, as they held hands at a nearby petrol station.

Miss Price - left with blood "spurting" from a head wound and a footprint on her face - desperately crawled to try shield Miss Wood, who was thrown to the ground and also had her face stamped on.

Paterson was dragged away from the attack scene, in the early hours of August 18 last year.

But both women had been seriously injured, needed hospital treatment and were profoundly affected by the crime.

Paterson admitted assaulting both Miss Price and Miss Wood, causing them actual bodily harm.

He was jailed for 28 months at Carlisle Crown Court on Tuesday 17 October.

"This was an outrageous indecent, started by you," Paterson, of Unitas Crescent, Carluke, South Lanarkshire, was told by Judge Peter Davies.

"They were both defenceless, and you attacked them because they were in a same sex relationship."