Man knocked out by violent drunk Stuart Kirk's attack in Loughborough

A man was punched unconscious in front of his wife after asking a drunken man to move out of the way of their car.

The victim had asked the assailant to move aside as he was blocking a Sainsbury's slip-road leading to the store's filling station, in Loughborough.

Drunken Stuart Kirk responded by punching the man three times, causing him to fall and hit his head, Leicester Crown Court was told.

Kirk (27), of Stableford Close, Shepshed, was jailed for a total of 14 months for what was described as a "rampage of violence" on May 22 last year.

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James Bide-Thomas, prosecuting, said Kirk had been drinking with two friends since 1pm.

They had a dispute with the landlord of the town's Varsity pub before ending up behaving in a rowdy manner in Sainsbury's at 8pm.

Mr Bide-Thomas said: "They were asked to stop swearing in the store, and left.

"They went to the slip-road and got in the way of traffic."

A male member of staff asked them to move, but was slapped in the face by Kirk, which knocked his glasses off.

The couple, who had only been married for three weeks, arrived by car and the wife got out to politely ask Kirk to let them through.

Mr Bide-Thomas said: "Kirk just laughed at her."

She went back to the vehicle and began calling the police, while her husband went to speak to Kirk.

Mr Bide-Thomas said: "He doesn't remember any of it. Witnesses say the defendant punched him twice, but he was able to regain his balance.

"A third, fully-powered blow to the face caused him to fall to the ground and be knocked unconscious.

"He suffered multiple fractures to bones above and below his right eye."

Kirk then made his way to a Bargain Booze store in Loughborough, where he stole two bottles of beer.

The police located him at 8.55pm emerging from a building site for a new Asda store in Charnwood Road, Shepshed, where he had stolen work tools.

In interview, Kirk made full admissions, saying he had drunk "far too much".

He admitted common assault, wounding and two thefts.

Mr Bide-Thomas said the victim, who suffered facial fractures, was expected to make a full recovery, although he had been affected emotionally.

"He's uncomfortable in public places where people are drinking and says he was concerned by the randomness of the incident, which was without any provocation," he said.

"He is petrified of something similar happening."

James House, mitigating, said of Kirk: "He's remorseful, shocked and ashamed. It was out of character as he's otherwise a thoroughly decent industrious caring partner and father, who centres his life on his work and family.

"He drank far too much and was on a rampage. He no longer goes out drinking."

Sentencing, Judge Philip Head said: "It was rightly called a rampage of serious violence and dishonesty. The public expects people who behave like that to go to prison."