A 24-year-old man has been jailed for an unprovoked attack in Ramsgate which left his victim with severe life-changing injuries.
During the early hours of Saturday 17 March Kent Police was called to Ramsgate High Street after receiving a report a man in his 20s had suffered a serious head injury.
An investigation launched by the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate found that the victim, self-employed plastere Joe Shaw, had received a single punch from Liam Bayliss who was arrested shortly after the assault.
Joe, 24,was left in a coma and with severe injuries.
Bayliss had been out drinking around the bars in Ramsgate and before the assault had been seen by witnesses to become more agitated, argumentative and aggressive towards other members of the public enjoying their nights out.
At Canterbury Crown Court Bayliss, of no fixed address, admitted causing grievous bodily harm but denied intentionally causing the injuries.
Following a week-long trial, the jury returned with the verdict that Bayliss was not guilty of causing the injury intentionally.
Today he was sentenced for the grevious bodily harm charge that he had previously admitted, receiving a four years and three months prison sentence.
Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Tristan Kluibenschadl said: “This was an alcohol-fuelled attack by Bayliss which ended tragically for the victim and his family. Six months on the victim is still severely disabled with life-changing injuries.”
Joe was left in a coma following the attack and taken to Kings College Hospital in London. He suffered brain injuries that have left him unable to speak and he is being fed through a tube.
In May Joe was moved from King’s College to Canterbury and an appeal was launched to help fund rehabilitation such as outside occupational, speech, physio and nutritional therapists.
The appeal has raised more than £3,000 so far. To donate click here
At the time of the attack Joe was in Ramsgate for a visit after his visa ran out in Australia. He had only been back in the UK for 4 weeks and was raising money return to Oz.
Joe’s mum Nancy Shaw said of the sentence: “No time is ever going to be enough.”
