Jail for stamping '¨on man's head

Brendan Callan, of Bond’s Hill, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm on September 17, 2014.

The court heard the injured party knew nothing about the incident until he woke up in Altnagelvin Hospital with serious injuries.

The court was told Callan, a female and the injured party were in a laneway. The defendant was holding a bottle of vodka at a time and witnesses saw the man fall on two occasions, banging his head off a tree and a wall, but got back on his feet both times.

An eye witness came to move the people out of the lane way and as he assisted the female, he heard four thuds and saw Callan stamping on the injured party’s head once.

Callan came ‘aggressively’ toward the witness who struck him once.

The victim was unconscious and was gurgling. The court was told he was in a bad way and was admitted to the intensive care unit. He had swelling to the back of his head and to his eyes.

Callan was arrested a short distance away. He had a cut on his face. His clothes were seized and the victim’s blood was found on his tracksuit bottoms and trainers.

In police interview Callan said he could not remember due to alcohol.

Judge Gemma Loughran said that the fact that Callan was drunk was no defence: “You are responsible for what you do drunk, as you are sober”.