JAILED: Thug high on drugs and drink left victim with shattered nose and footprint on forehead

Joshua Bernard attacked Callum Duncan after taking cocaine and drinking Champagne, brandy, 10 shots of sambuca and sharing two jugs of vodka and Red Bull with his girlfriend.

Bernard was out celebrating his 21st birthday with his partner when they began to argue outside a pub in Stourbridge High Street at 2am.

His girlfriend called out to Mr Duncan, who is in his 20s, for help and he began to cross the road to assist her but, before he could reach her, Bernard burst forward and felled him with a single punch.

The victim lay unconscious in the middle of the road while being punched, kicked and stamped on by the attacker until his girlfriend managed to pull him away. But as she tried to care for Mr Duncan, Bernard returned to kicked the defenceless victim in the head so hard his body moved.

The savage beating was witnessed by a monitor watching the CCTV feed who alerted police in the early hours of January 16.

Bernard tried to run away as officers arrived but was caught after a chase.

Self-employed Mr Duncan, who had spent the night at a different pub and had never met his attacker before, had his nose shattered and cheekbone fractured. A footprint was found on his forehead.

He remembers nothing of the incident because of his injuries. And the amount of drink and drugs taken by Bernard ensured he had no memory of the attack either. But when shown the CCTV footage by police, he confessed: "That was sick - beyond disgusting."

Mr Harpreet Sandhu, defending at Wolverhampton Crown Court this week, said: "He is still revolted by what he did. His ingestion of cocaine couple with copious amounts of alcohol had been fuelled by an argument with his girlfriend when the victim unwittingly came into the situation."

Bernard from Gower Street, All Saints, Wolverhampton, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and was jailed for eight years by Judge Nicholas Webb.

Judge Webb said: "This was a totally unprovoked attack on somebody you did not know who had been drinking in a different pub. The only reason he crossed your path was you had been in an argument with your girlfriend who spoke to him. In a spirit of courtesy, and perhaps gallantry, he crossed the road to inquire what the problem was. Then, without warning, you attacked him with fist and feet.

"After punching, kicking and stamping on his head, and when he was lying unconscious on the ground, you approached again and unleashed an almighty kick that moved his head a considerable distance. It was a dreadful thing to see and could so easily have killed him."