A thug who chased down a teenager before knocking him out with a brick and launching a sustained violent attack on the unconscious boy has been locked up.
Anthony McLoughlin flew into a rage when the windows of his home were put through with bricks and targeted the innocent 15-year-old he believed was responsible for the attack.
CCTV footage showed the 41-year-old smash the brick into the youngster’s head from a short distance before stamping and kicking him to the head and throwing a flurry of punches.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the teenager was lucky to sustain relatively minor injuries despite the violent and sustained nature of the attack.
Emma Atkinson, prosecuting, said McLoughlin chased the teenager on his bike before launching the brutal attack which left the victim requiring hospital treatment.
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The court heard how the victim turned up at the defendant’s home after he received a phone call from a female friend and when after he arrived a gang of girls threw a number of bricks at the terraced house.
She said: “The victim suffered bruising to his right eyebrow, a cut to his forehead and a deeper cut to the back of his head.
“He described have sore ribs, bruised hand and knuckles.”
In a victim impact statement, the teenager said he was unable to eat solid food for a week after the attack and was in a lot of pain with his jaw.
Miss Atkinson said: “He was left feeling like he didn’t want to leave the house and be around people because he was scared and didn’t know who to trust.”
The judge heard how McLoughlin had 63 convictions for 142 offences, including for violence, robbery and drugs.
McLoughlin, of Carlow Street, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent in June.
Rod Hunt, in mitigation, said his client was appalled at his behaviour when he realised that his victim was only 15 but accepted that he lost his temper when his family home was attacked.
He added: “In the cold light of day, he is extremely sorry for what he did and would like to express that his victim. He didn’t know the complaint was 15 and he was horrified when he learned his age.”
Judge Timothy Stead jailed McLoughlin for a total of four years after he also admitted breaching a suspended sentence when he committed the violent offence.
He said: “You had armed yourself with a brick, you came up close to him and you threw the brick with considerable force at his head.
“As good fortune would have it, although there was some injury, great harm or death was not caused.
“Knowing he was on the ground and doing nothing, you continued the attack by repeatedly stamping and kicking his head. Yet again it is remarkable that the injuries were not worse than what they are.”
McLoughlin was also issued with an indefinite restraining order to stay away from his victim.
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