Man jailed for attacking victim with walking stick in Hastings

Police said Dylan White, 22, unemployed, of Rugby Road, Dagenham, pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to an assault in Hastings town centre on March 19, 2019.

White and the victim had become involved in a verbal altercation in the McDonald’s branch in Wellington Place.

Both were seen on CCTV to leave the area but return moments later.

Police said White then begun hitting the victim with his own walking stick, continuing even when the victim had fallen to the ground.

A member of the public intervened, and White fled the scene. The walking stick was recovered by police in a recycling bin nearby.

Police said the 53-year-old victim was taken to hospital with a bleed on the brain, a cut to the head, a fractured finger and bruising to his body. He was discharged a few days later.

White was arrested and charged, and pleaded guilty at Lewes Crown Court on June 14, 2021.

Bernadette Peters, of Hastings CID, said: “The level of violence shown by White towards the victim was extreme and relentless.

“The victim in this case died a few months after the attack due to unrelated matters, but we still continued with our investigation to ensure a dangerous offender was brought to justice.”

Police said White was remanded in custody until sentencing, which was adjourned to allow two other charges against him to be heard.

He was charged with possession with intent to supply Class A drugs after officers arrested him for being involved in a suspected drugs deal in November 2018. Police said White was found in possession of a key to a room in a local guest house, and a search of the room found 63 wraps of heroin and 81 wraps of crack cocaine with an estimated street value of around £1,500.

He was also charged with being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs after police dismantled a county line being run by White from East London to Hastings.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police and Sussex Police executed a search warrant at White’s address in Dagenham on March 9, 2021.

Police said White was found in possession of a phone that was sending out bulk messages to drug users advertising that he had Class A drugs for sale and would travel down to Hastings to sell them.

When presented with overwhelming evidence against him, White pleaded guilty to both drugs charges as well.

On Monday (December 20), he appeared at Lewes Crown Court and was sentenced to a total of seven years and nine months for all three offences.