A 12-year-old suffered permanent blindness in one eye after being struck by a pellet from a catapult wielded by an 18-year-old in the Stairfoot area of Barnsley in March 2025. The incident has left the child with lifelong consequences that will significantly impact his future employment prospects and quality of life.

Kaine Tighe, now 20, subsequently attempted to coerce the victim and his friends into silence before pleading guilty to possessing an offensive weapon and inflicting grievous bodily harm. Sheffield Crown Court sentenced him to 18 months' detention suspended for two years, 150 hours of unpaid work, and £1,200 compensation. The judge spared him immediate custody due to his early guilty plea, whilst stressing that the permanent nature of the injury warranted serious punishment and noting a civil claim could result in substantially higher damages.