Northumberland thug left his friend with fractured skull and brain bleed in 'chilling' one-punch attack
by Rob Kennedy · ChronicleLiveA thug who left his friend with a brain bleed and fractured skull with a single "inexplicable" punch has been jailed.
David Moore launched the drunken attack outside a pub in Northumberland after an altercation with the victim which was caught on CCTV. A court heard the man posed no threat to Moore when he landed a heavy unprovoked punch, causing him to fall and hit his head on the road.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the attack happened on October 10 last year around 11.30pm outside Angie's Tavern, on Queen Street, in Amble. Footage showed the victim walking past the pub looking a bit unsteady on his feet and he was approached by Moore.
He pointed at the other man and made gestures with his hand while the victim stepped back and put his hands out in front of him. Matthew Hopkins, prosecuting, said: "The victim turned away and as he did so the defendant struck him once.
"He fell backwards and his head lands on the road surface and he lay there for a while on his back. The defendant tried to pull him up.
"The victim had been unconscious and the defendant drags him onto the footpath." Moore then ran into the pub to seek help before going to the victim's home nearby, where he spoke to someone.
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The victim was taken to hospital by ambulance and was found to have a bleed on the brain and three fractures to his skull and needed a blood transfusion. He did not make a statement to police so there was no update on his current condition.
Moore, 33, of Straffen Court, Amble, who has 26 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to inflicting GBH and was jailed for 21 months.
Judge Edward Legard told him: "This incident was caught on CCTV. I've watched the footage and it makes for chilling viewing."
He added: "What is absolutely and abundantly clear is he presents no threat whatsoever to you at all. This wholly inexplicable punch that must have been delivered with full force gave him no chance to defend himself.
"It was an extraordinary thing for you to do. This was an act of serious and unprovoked violence.
"Offences of drunken unprovoked violence of this sort which result in serious injury will almost inevitably attract a custodial sentence."
Shaun Routledge, defending, said it was a single blow and that Moore went to get help afterwards. He added that the dad-of-five was "at a low ebb" at the time is is genuinely remorseful and said the two men remain friends.
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