The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A 25-year-old who attacked a man leaving him with a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain has been sent to prison.
Connor Tierney of Langwith Drive, Holbeach had admitted causing grievous bodily harm to Richard Scott when he appeared at Boston Magistrates Court two weeks ago and was appearing for sentence following a pre sentence report from the Probation Service.
The judge was told there had been an incident between Tierney and the victim during the afternoon of June 26 last year when the victim and his father had been walking into Spalding town centre after watching a rugby match on television at a local pub.
Prosecutor Lou Johnson said that the father and son had passed Tierney, who they did not know, who was sitting on a bench with a female and who used abusive language towards Mr Scott who was abusive in reply and there was a scuffle which resulted in Mr Scott on the ground with Tierney on top of him.
She said that later on, Mr Scott and his father left another pub in the Sheep Market at around 9.30pm when he was confronted by Tierney, who followed him and was seen to punch him three times to the head.
Ms Johnson said Mr Scott fell backwards onto the ground, smashing his head causing significant injuries and Tierney ran away.
She said Mr Scott was hospitalised for 11 days with a fractured skull, fractured vertebrae and bleeding on the brain.
In mitigation, it was said that Tierney had been drinking alcohol and taking drugs to excess but he claimed Mr Scott had been aggressive towards him in the earlier incident.
It was claimed it had been a chance meeting in the evening and Tierney had gone up to him but claimed his intention had only been to speak to him and he had had no intention to cause such serious injuries.
Sentencing him to 18 weeks in prison, Judge Peter Veits told Tierney he was ‘lucky not to be facing a murder charge’.
He was also ordered to pay £128 in court charges following his release.
