A night out socialising left a man unconscious with his skull fractured in five places after a stranger punched him in the face following a row outside a Warrington nightclub.
The victim was attacked after making an abusive sexualised gesture towards Matthew Warburton and two friends in the vicinity of PJ’s nightclub in Warrington.
Graphic CCTV footage of the violent incident was played to Liverpool Crown Court today (Fri) when 29-year-old Warburton of Sorrel Close, Poulton-with-Fearnhead, appeared for sentence having admitted unlawful and malicious wounding.
The defendant and his two companions were seen crossing the road towards victim Gareth Daniels and there was some pushing and shoving before Warburton floored him with one punch to the face.
He was left lying unconscious on the roadway and on arrival at hospital, he was found to have five skull fractures and bleeding on the brain.
Iain Criddle, prosecuting, said, “While Mr Daniel’s behaviour might explain why Mr Warburton decided to punch him, it in no way justifies his behaviour. He (Daniels) was no threat at the time.”
Mr Daniels was in a coma for nine days and has been left with constant headaches and has lost his sense of smell.
Mr Criddle said that when interviewed after the incident, which took place at about 2 am on December 5, 2022, the defendant said he came out of the club and was arguing with the victim. “He felt threatened and threw a punch out as a result.”
In an impact statement, Mr Daniels told how he no longer likes going out and the incident had impacted his plans to open his own tattoo business.
He had attended the Walton Centre because of his constant ongoing headaches, he suffers from dizziness and has repeatedly collapsed. His relationship with his partner has become strained and he is on anti-depressants.
He stated that the incident “has changed me as a person” and he now lacks motivation and no longer works out as much as he used to do.
Defence barrister Jemma Gordon asked the judge to step back from sending Warburton straight to jail and pointed out that he has no previous convictions.
“He is ashamed and has expressed remorse. He is in work and able to pay compensation. It has been a considerable time since the incident and there has been no repeat of his behaviour.
“Alcohol was a major factor and he has taken steps to reduce his consumption,” she added.
Judge Garrett Byrne said, “No matter what Mr Daniels did to provoke you, nothing can justify what you did.”
He pointed out that there are many “one punch manslaughter cases” and Warburton could easily have been one of them and facing a very long jail sentence.
He said there was “just enough” mitigation to allow him to suspend a prison sentence and imposed eight months suspended for 18 months.
He also ordered him to pay his victim £1,000 by July 1, carry out 10 rehabilitation activity days and imposed a 120-day alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement.
