A man who seriously assaulted a vulnerable man in his own home in Crewe has been jailed.

John Healey, 43, of no fixed address but of Crewe, was sentenced at Chester Court to four years imprisonment on 31 March after being found guilty at trial for a section 20 assault.

He was also handed a 10-year restraining order.

The court heard how Healey had been staying at the victim's address when on Tuesday 5 October 2021, at sometime between 2pm and 3pm, came down the stairs and punched the victim, who suffers with severe COPD, four times to the face before he blacked out.

It was the next day when the victim made a call to his mother to ask to stay with her rather than live in his own home.

The victim did not turn up at his mother's address when he said he would, so she contacted police.

At around 8.30pm on Wednesday 6 October, officers attended the address and found the victim with severe swelling and bruising to the right side of his face with his right eye bruised and partially closed.

The victim disclosed to officers how Healey had punched and head-butted him.

He was also complaining of further pains to his head so officers took him to hospital where he was triaged and transferred to Royal Stoke Hospital.

He suffered a seizure and later, medics discovered a blood clot on his brain. He underwent surgery and had to have part of his skull removed as a result of the injuries caused by Healey.

The victim has no other memory of the incident until he woke up at hospital.

Healey was arrested and subsequently charged with section 20 assault.

Detective Constable Laura Hall said: "The victim in this case will have to life the rest of his life dealing with the impact of the injuries that Healey inflicted.

"It does not bear thinking about what the outcome of Healey's actions could have been.

"In questioning, Healey denied causing the injuries and made the victim relive the whole horrendous ordeal once again at court by refusing to plead guilty despite the catalogue of evidence put towards him.

"I would like to pass on my thanks to the courts for the sentence handed down to Healey and I hope that the sentence will bring some small comfort in the knowledge justice has been served and Healey is behind bars."

In case you missed it: Dedicated domestic abuse court returns to Cheshire: protection notices rising.

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