Blackpool thug swung scaffolding pole at young woman's head after refusal

Victim Elisha Forbes, 19, had bravely tried to calm the raging man down as he swung the metal pole around on Queen Street in Blackpool, but was left with a displaced fracture to her jaw, which was broken in two places.

Her attacker Jonathan Holland, 34, of Collett Crescent, Blackpool, admitted affray.

Prosecutors said Holland had made a nuisance of himself to one of the women as Elisha and her friends were out between 3am and 4am.

It led to a fight with another man.

Prosecuting Jane Dagnall said: " He was seen by a number of witnesses to have a bloodied nose. He and another male ran off but he returned with a metal bar.

"One of the witnesses describes there being crowds of people.

"Mr Holland ran at the group and he swung the bar around. Miss Forbes tried to calm him down but he pushed her and the next thing she can recall is being on the ground.

"One of her friends describes him as having swung it like a golf club at her, and that she had spun around like a ballerina and dropped to the floor

"He continued to swing the pole and then he walked off.

"He is described as walking brazenly with the pole on his shoulder, a swagger up the middle of the road."

Miss Forbes was taken to hospital by an ambulance, where medics found her jaw was broken in two places.

In a victim impact statement she said she was "scared to go out", was "worried constantly" and had suffered pain and trouble eating

She added: " It's going to take a long time for me to come to terms with this - it has affected me physically, mentally, socially and financially."

In interview Holland, who has 17 convictions for 51 offences, admitted he was drunk and said as he had been smacked in the face he had "500 things on his mind".

Defending, Joe Hart said: " It's quite clear the defendant does not initiate a violent incident - he is speaking to someone, he is thumped to the face. That appears to be an unprovoked assault and certainly he suffers a bloodied nose because of it.

"The defendant throughout has always said he was at that stage frightened and paranoid somebody might be coming after him.

"He is profoundly remorseful about the injury to this girl."

Judge Beverly Lunt said: "Whatever your past experience might have been, to leave the scene of this incident, go away, arm yourself and return with a very dangerous weapon obviously creates a risk of serious injury - or indeed you could have killed somebody.

"Her injuries were unpleasant and nasty. She has suffered a lot of pain.

"There is an element of premeditation - you could have stayed away from the scene.

"There's no provocation here. You swung this weapon and struck a totally innocent woman, an innocent bystander. The provocation finished the moment "You were able to - and did - leave the scene.

"You are fortunate indeed that her injuries were not more serious."