Prison Sentence After Unprovoked Attack

10 March 2010, 06:36 | Updated: 10 March 2010, 06:42

A man's been jailed for an unprovoked attack that left a Clacton teenager brain damaged.

Simon Barras from West Yorkshire punched the man to the ground after a night out back in 2007, leaving him with serious head injuries. He now has brain injuries that will affect him for the rest of his life.

At the time of the incident (November 2007) Barras, from Nottinghley West Yorkshire, was working in Clacton as a shop fitter. He had gone out with a colleague on their last night in Essex before returning home to West Yorkshire. The victim had been out with friends and they were going to get a take away when they come across Barras.

Dc Rob Dines from Clacton CID said: "The group of friends got involved in a minor disagreement with Simon Barras and he chased one of the group, a young man then aged 18, along Rosemary Road and punched him to the ground from behind. The victim was completely innocent and suffered life changing head injuries. This was a senseless and violent assault."

Using Crimestoppers and national media Barras was finally identifited and charged. He pleaded guilty to GBH at court in February.

The 29-year old has been sentenced to 21 months imprisonment for the attack, which has been described as 'vicious' and 'unprovoked'. 

Detectives at Clacton say they are pleased for the victim's family that they have been able to bring him before the courts to face justice despite the passage of time.