A thug launched an unprovoked flurry of punches on an old schoolmate leaving him with six facial fractures.
Thomas Noon, 23, fractured his friend of 10 years Mark Stanley’s skull, nose, and both cheekbones on May 1 this year.
Liverpool Crown Court heard how the pair had been drinking and watching TV at Noon’s home in Clieves Road, Kirkby at around 7.30pm.
Paul Blasbery, prosecuting, said: “Without any warning the defendant stood up, walked over to the victim, stood over him and launched what the Crown says was an unprovoked attack.
“He punched him to the face with both fists and landed about four or five punches.
“The next thing Mr Stanley remembers was being in an ambulance. He describes that his face was in agony and throbbing.”
Noon was arrested but made no comment during police interview.
The defendant, with short black hair and wearing a white t-shirt in the dock, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm.
Previous hammer assault
The dad-of-one was serving a suspended sentence at the time for a hammer assault.
Noon was handed a 12-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, in April 2014 for wounding his then partner’s sister’s boyfriend.
The court heard he punched the man and struck him with a hammer, causing cuts to his head.
He also has cautions for criminal damage and battery.
Mr Blasbery said Mr Slater was reluctant to come to court.
He said: “He can’t believe he assaulted him like this.
“He says he left him in pain for a considerable period and said he could not leave the house looking like this.”
Charles Lander, defending, accepted that Mr Slater suffered serious injuries.
He said: “The defendant is lucky the complainant has made a full recovery.”
The barrister said his client’s girlfriend was expecting their first child.
He said Noon was on anti-depressants at the time and had tried to commit suicide.
Mr Lander said: “In his words he is disgusted by his behaviour and shocked and gutted in relation to how he treated his friend that day.”
However, Judge Steven Everett said Noon had continued to make unpleasant remarks about Mr Stanley in a pre-sentence report.
Mr Lander said: “There clearly must be a reason for why he did what he did, but he’s not relying on provocation of any sort.”
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Judge Everett said Noon was “not a stranger to violence” and had suddenly launched a sustained assault on his longtime friend, “whatever the reason”.
He said: “This was a nasty attack. They must have been heavy blows.
“Looking at you in the dock you’re a well-built and powerful young man. Your power undoubtedly came through that day.
“You left him with six undisplaced facial fractures. His face looked horrendous in terms of the swelling.
“It’s by sheer good fortune the injuries weren’t even more serious, requiring some form of surgery.”
He said the labourer hadn’t given much thought to his pregnant girlfriend and had shown sorrow for himself and not his victim.
The judge accused Noon of “wallowing in self-pity” and trying to gain sympathy for the court, adding: “That cuts no ice with me.”
He jailed Noon for a total of two years and four months and ordered him to pay a £900 criminal courts charge.
Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/