Derry Crown Court: 40 months jail for random assault that left man 'requiring stitches'

Derry Crown Court heard today how a man who was walking home was attacked 'out of the blue' in John Street in the city leaving him with two black eyes and requiring stitches.

Darrell Shaw (31) whose address is now Entry Street in Belfast was jailed for a charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm on the victim on March 2 2021.

Judge Neil Rafferty said that the victim in this case was walking home when he was assaulted by Shaw and left bleeding on the ground with two black eyes. 

The judge said Shaw's response to the attack was summed up in four words 'really, really, really drunk.'

The court heard that Shaw had 79 previous convictions and also was in breach of a suspended sentence. 

Judge Rafferty said this was 'a violent, random drunken assault on a completely blameless human being.' 

He said that since going into custody Shaw was free of drink and drugs and warned him if he did not seek help he was going to face 'longer and longer prison sentences'. 

He sentenced Shaw to 40 months in prison with half in custody and half on licence.