Life-changing brain injury punch attacker jailed

Callum Creighton was jailed for 20 months

An attacker who left a man with a life-changing brain injury when he punched him to the ground has been jailed for 20 months.

Callum Creighton, 32, was one of two people who attacked the victim in Sunderland in November last year, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

The man struck his head on the pavement after Creighton's blow and said he had "lost my brain forever".

Creighton, who has previous convictions including for the attempted murder of his brother, admitted causing grievous bodily harm without intent.

The victim was punched to the ground by another man, then after getting up was struck again "forcefully" by Creighton in Holmeside on 12 November, prosecutor Anthony Pettengell said.

He struck his head on the pavement and was knocked unconscious, but rather than try and help the man, Creighton was more concerned with finding a ring that had been flung off his finger during the attack, the court heard.

'Never hurt anyone'

Passers-by came to the victim's aid and he spent six weeks in hospital having suffered a large bleed on his brain and fractured skull.

In a statement read to the court, the victim said his injuries "completely changed" his life and his brain would "never be the same again".

He said doctors had told him he would never be able to work again due to issues with his brain and eyesight, adding: "I have lost my brain forever. I will never return to the person I was."

The man said he "did not deserve" to be attacked, did not know why he had been targeted and had "never hurt anyone" in his life.

He said he was now "scared to go out alone" and was living his "life in fear".

The other man involved in the attack admitted a less serious assault charge and was given an 18-month community order, the court heard.

'Brother's attempted murder'

In mitigation, Vic Laffey said Creighton, of Cramlington Square in Sunderland, had expressed "extreme remorse".

He said the attacker had been held on remand in prison since the attack and was yet to meet his eight-month-old daughter.

The court heard Creighton was jailed for 12 years in 2012 for the attempted murder of his brother, with the attack in Sunderland occurring only weeks after his release on licence.

Mr Laffey said Creighton's alcoholic brother had subjected him to years of physical and verbal abuse and the defendant "reached the point where he simply couldn't take it any longer".

Because Creighton had spent 11 months in prison in remand for the Sunderland attack, he would shortly be released on licence, the court heard.

He was also ordered to pay £2,500 compensation to the victim.