A thug who shattered a railway worker’s face with a single punch has been jailed for 28 months after a court watched shocking CCTV footage of the crazed attack.
Bricklayer Michael Lucas, 32 – who had been drinking heavily – flew into a rage when he was told station staff could not reissue a GBP 70 weekly season ticket he had lost.
During his terrifying outburst at Wigan Wallgate station in Greater Manchester, father-of-three Lucas told train worker Colin Spicer: ”I’ll kill you, I’ll rip your f..king head off.”
He then barged through the barriers and grabbed his victim by the throat, before punching him full in the face with a blow so hard, the victim said it was like being hit with a baseball bat.
The guard was sent tumbling to the floor and suffered ”complex” multiple facial fractures including a broken jaw plus fractures to his eye socket, Bolton Crown Court heard.
He had to take up to four months off work and now speaks with a lisp due to his injuries. Nerves in his teeth and face are now beyond repair and he struggles to eat properly.
In a statement, Mr Spicer told police: ”I am back at work now but I am hyper-aware that I must protect my face. The slightest knock will cave my face back in and I have found myself moving away from large groups of people as I am worried I may get hit.”
Lucas was jailed after he admitted causing grievous bodily harm.
The incident occurred at 8.50pm on February 6 this year after Lucas lost his ticket.
In an earlier row, he had lost his temper with a female rail worker but apologised when she called police.
Lucas later returned and instantly attacked Spicer who was working on the platform barriers.
Lucas fled but was traced after he dropped his phone during the attack which contained his driver’s licence and bank cards.
The court heard he had 23 other offences on his record dating back to 2008 for six assaults, two convictions for battery, damage, harassment and breaching a restraining order.
The latest assault occurred in breach of a community order imposed last year for assault.
A probation report on Lucas said he posed a high risk of re-offending concluding his attack against Spicer ”formed ‘part of an established pattern of similar offending where he resorts to violence to resolve conflict when he feels aggrieved or challenged.”
In mitigation defence counsel Miss Constance Halliwell said her client had mental health problems and added: ”He is remorseful and regretful for his behaviour as well as being deeply ashamed.
”He had experienced the breakdown of a long-term relationship with his partner who is the mother of two of his children. He lost everything as a result of that. He has had significant difficulties with drink.”
Sentencing Judge Tom Gilbart told Lucas. ”It is utterly shameful that anyone let alone a father of young children should behave in this way. You shouted insults at Mr Spicer then pushed your way through the ticket barrier, grabbed him around the throat and pushed him against a wall.
”Other staff told you to stop and you then released your victim only to then punch him in the face. He was an entirely innocent man doing his job and doing no more than his job yet you decided to attack him.
”It was entirely unprovoked at a time when you were drunk. This was on any view appalling thuggery.”
