A binman left his colleague with a fractured skull and a blood clot on the brain after attacking him during a Christmas drinking session.
Kyle Morgan Stewart, victim Daniel Charlton and others had gone out in Newcastle city centre after receiving tips from members of the public in Walker. Morgan Stewart claimed Mr Charlton had been irritating him by nipping him and ended up knocking him to the ground outside a pub.
Mr Charlton's head hit the pavement with a "sickening thud" and Morgan Stewart made off, later handing himself in when he realised the victim was in intensive care.
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Newcastle Crown Court heard it was on December 10 2021 that Morgan Stewart and the victim were working together as binmen for Newcastle City Council and they and their colleagues earned £140 in tips and decided to go for some Christmas drinks in the city centre after their shift.
After a few hours drinking, Morgan Stewart and Mr Charlton were seen arguing outside the Mile Castle pub. Claire Anderson, prosecuting, said: "The witness saw that he slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. She heard a loud noise, his head made contact with the pavement.
"The defendant and a third man hesitated then left the area before door staff came to help him."
Mr Charlton suffered a fracture to his skull and a blood clot on the brain and was put in an induced coma. The effects of his injuries have been long lasting and have affected his memory, mobility and confidence and he can no longer work. The impact is likely to be permanent, the court heard.
In a victim impact statement, he said he's gone from being able to walk for miles to struggling to walk a mile and has suffered depression since the attack. He added: "This was a completely unprovoked attack which I still have no memory of.
"Even if I was nipping him there's no reason for him to attack me. The fact he ran off and made no attempt to get medical help upsets me. I almost died as a result and I'm appalled he just ran off and left."
When Morgan Stewart returned to work and found out his colleague was in intensive care, he handed himself into police. When interviewed, he claimed Mr Charlton had been nipping and pinching him and he had warned him he would punch him if he didn't stop.
But he expressed remorse and said he didn't mean to hurt him and just wanted to stop him irritating him.
Morgan Stewart, 25, of Greenlands, Jarrow, who has two previous convictions for criminal damage, pleaded guilty to GBH and was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for two years, with 175 hours unpaid work and must do a thinking skills programme.
Judge Edward Legard said: "There may have been a bit of niggling but nothing he may have done to you during the course of that round can possibly excuse or condone what happened next.
"You, for reasons that are not quite clear, have seen red and in a moment of what can only be described as sheer madness, you attacked him. You threw him off balance, knocking him to the ground, whereupon his head came into contact with the pavement in what a neutral observer described as a sickening thud.
"When an assault such as this takes place in the city centre there's a high risk of that individual's head coming into contact with concrete and as a consequence suffering very serious injury and sometimes death."
Rachel Hedworth, defending, said: "He had become irritated by the fact he said he had been repeatedly pinched by the injured party. In the cold light of day he recognises that gave him no justification for behaving as he did and shoulder barging him."
Miss Hedworth said Morgan Stewart now works as a binman for Gateshead Council, who are aware of the offence. she said. She added: "He is utterly remorseful."
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