(Image: North Yorkshire Police)
A “jackal” who knocked out a complete stranger in a drunken rage - leaving him unconscious for six minutes - has been jailed.
Kiegan Stannard, 22, evaded efforts by the victim’s friend to prevent him attacking the other man in the street, said Victoria Ball, prosecuting.
He later told police the victim had insulted him, claiming he had warned the victim he would punch him if he repeated the insult and the victim had done so.
“You were behaving like a jackal round that victim,” the Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, told him. “You were determined to punch him, despite his friend trying to get between you."
Punches such as the one Stannard used on that victim sometimes ended in death, he warned.
“You need to take a long hard look at yourself laddie. You had already assaulted someone and you were under the influence of alcohol. Keep your fists to yourself.”
York Crown Court heard Stannard had been involved in a similar incident in a pub a couple of months before the street attack that had left a second victim injured, for which he had already been arrested and interviewed by police.
Stannard, of Burdyke Avenue, Clifton, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm and was jailed for 18 months.
Earlier this year before York magistrates, he had pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm to a man in the Mitre pub in Shipton Road, on September 12.
Ms Ball said on December 7, Stannard, then 21, “embarked upon a drunken fit of rage and assaulted a complete stranger".
The victim had arrived in Vudu in York city centre at 1.30am. Stannard was already in the bar.
Between 3am and 4am they had a disagreement. Both left.
As they walked down the street, the victim’s friend tried to get between them but couldn’t stop Stannard punching the victim to the ground.
According to CCTV footage, he lay without moving for six minutes in the street during which time his friend had to repeatedly protect him from Stannard’s efforts to get to him. After some minutes Stannard walked off but was tracked by CCTV and arrested nearby.
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The victim later told police that when he regained consciousness, he felt as though he couldn’t move his body.
“This incident has had a lasting effect on both my physical well being and mental well being,” he said in a personal statement.
He said he had to take six weeks off work because of the punch and had had to have many dental appointments as four of his teeth were damaged or knocked out. He had a permanent scar on his face and was now anxious about going out.
Defence barrister Nicholas Hammond said Stannard’s family were concerned about the amount he was drinking as he behaved very differently when he wasn’t drinking.