Smiling thug knocked victim to floor with single punch to head as 'ankle crumbled beneath him'

Karl Webster and Bar One where the attack took place
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


A boozed-up thug punched a man outside of a bar leaving him with a dislocated ankle before spitting and kicking police.

Karl Webster, 33, carried out the shocking attack outside of Bar One, in Hartlepool, as his victim walked home. Teesside Crown Court heard the man had been celebrating an upcoming wedding at a relative's house when he left and was beaten by Webster.

Jon Harley, prosecuting, said the victim was walking home in the late hours of July 26, when he was grabbed and punched. "He remembers lying on the floor outside of Bar One on Victoria Road and feeling a severe pain in his ankle. He then remember an ambulance arriving and paramedics giving him gas and air," he explained.

The prosecutor said he was taken to the University Hospital of North Tees, in Stockton, by ambulance where an X-ray revealed his right ankle had been fractured and dislocated. It was reset under sedation and he later underwent surgery.

Mr Harley showed CCTV of the attack in court which shows the victim falling to the ground on his ankle. Summarising the footage, he said: "[Name of victim] can be seen walking towards the entrance to the bar in conversation with another male.

"The other male grabs him by the hood and yanks him backwards on to the pavement just as the defendant, another male and a female emerge from the bar. [Name of victim] is then grabbed by the neck and pinned up against the wall by one of the other males.

"The defendant can be seen trying to kick him in the head but missing and falling over. The defendant then gets up, grabs [name of victim] and aims a punch at his head knocking him to the floor - as he falls his right ankle crumbles beneath him."

Webster awoken in cell at 6.20am

The court heard the defendant fled before being arrested the following morning. Mr Harley said it was about 6.20am that morning when the defendant was awoken in his custody cell by two officers.

The prosecutor said he lashed out at one and then punched another. Mr Harley said he was handcuffed and became verbally abusive to one officer threatening to kill him and calling him a "fat ****".

The court heard he then spat at the officer and was violent further when a spit hood was placed over his head. Mr Harley said he struggled against the hood and kicked the officer.

Webster was charged with the attacks and later pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent and two counts of assaulting of an emergency worker. In mitigation, the court heard the defendant has had "personal difficulties" and was in a "vulnerable" state at the time of the offending.

'Drunk violence'

His barrister Stephen Constantine said: "His relationship came to an end a short time before this and his medical records show numerous attempts of self harm. In the two weeks preceding this incident he was pulled from the sea."

The court heard he previously has had problems with drugs and plans to go on a residential rehab course in Stoke. The defendant has 30 convictions for 65 offences and was last before the court in August charged with being drunk and disorderly.

Addressing the defendant, Judge Jonathan Carroll described the street attack as "drunk violence". He said: "This was drunk violence in the street. There were plenty of other customers there.

"They are entitled to go out in peace and safety. When this kind of violence erupts it rapidly risks dragging other people into it - innocent bystanders. There must be a clear expectation that when you're involved in drunken violence outside establishments you are at risk of an immediate custodial sentence."

The Woodside Road, Doncaster, defendant was handed a 12-month-and-one-week prison sentence.

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