A BASINGSTOKE man has escaped jail after repeatedly punching and kicking a friend in the face during a drunken outburst.

Christopher Hammond, 36, was given a suspended sentence after he admitted attacking Edward Batchelor late on a Saturday night in September last year, in an assault that left the victim with concussion and one eye swollen shut.

Winchester Crown Court heard on Friday that Batchelor, who had moved to Bristol, was spending the weekend with Hammond, at his home on St Nicholas Court, Basingstoke. They had had a day of “convivial pub crawling”, as well as making a trip to the barbers.

At 11:30pm on September 28 2019, a witness described seeing Hammond standing over Batchelor on St Peter’s Road in South Ham, at the junction with Margaret Road, and kicking him multiple times in the face, before pinning him down and punching him for several minutes.

Mr Charles Gabb, prosecutor, said the witness, a Mr Martin, “happened to be having a cigarette and watching outside the window.”

He added: “The witness heard talking and then a ‘thump noise’.

“The defendant was stood over the victim on the ground because suddenly, without any warning or cause whatsoever the defendant whacked him in the face. Something must have happened, there must have been some trigger, but otherwise it was utterly inexplicable.

“The witness saw the defendant kick the victim to the face about four times. He then held his head down, pinned him to the floor and then proceeded to punch him with a clenched fist. This went on for a few minutes. It seemed like he was shouting ‘You can’t talk to me like that’ and ‘I love you.’

“The witness called the police and was shouting out “stop”. A car then drove past and the driver got out and said stop and that was when the defendant stopped. The defendant then laid down on the grass alongside him and was still in this position when the police turned up.

“Mr Batchelor was taken in an ambulance to hospital, while Mr Hammond was taken off by police.”

Mr Gabb described Mr Batchelor’s injuries, including his left side of face swollen, left eye swollen shut, cut on his cheek under left eye, bloodshot eye, bruising and diagnosed concussion.

He said he was not kept in hospital and X-rays reported no fracture. Despite reporting blurred vision in one eye, a report found he had full colour vision and full range, and that he had a week off work.

The victim has since contacted The Gazette and said they had to take five weeks off work. 

Despite claims made in a statement by Hammond of the involvement of drugs, and provocation before the incident, Mr Gabb said there was “not a shred of evidence” of this.

He did, however, acknowledge that this was a one-off incident 14 months ago, that Hammond had shown remorse and held no previous convictions.

Mr Gabb said: “He knows the serious position that he is in.”

Hammond, defending himself, said: “I have been replaying the incident every day for the last 14 months in my head.

“It is not something I would ever consider doing when sober. I regret everything that I did.

“Mr Bachelor was a very good friend of mine. When he moved to Bristol I was one of the few people who kept in touch with him and vice versa. I have lost a very good friend over my course of action.

“I am adamant that my statement is correct but I know it does not excuse my actions. It makes me physically sick that I did that to another human being, let alone a good friend.

“I realise that I had myself in a situation that I could not handle. In a situation like this I would usually walk away but I had spent the entire day looking after Mr Batchelor. In the last 14 months I have taken responsibility for my stress and anxiety issues, and I am trying to improve and learn from this incident, and ensure it will never happen again.

“ I have not spoken to Mr Batchelor since the incident and I personally think it best that I cut ties.”

Appealing to the judge, he added: “I was 30 seconds away from my house. If I had turned the corner I would have been there and I wouldn’t be here today. I understand that a prison sentence is well within the realm of appropriate punishment, but if I go to prison I will lose my job, affect other people’s careers, and if I am not working I will lose my home. But I understand that the issue is out of my hands.”

Summing up, Judge Hill, Assistant Judge Advocate General said: “You are a man in your mid-thirties, no previous convictions and I accept that you are completely and utterly remorseful.

“You had been out with a friend all day, both of you were no doubt very drunk. For reasons that were certainly not rational, you suddenly attacked him.

“You knocked him to the ground and spent some time punching him and kicking him to the head.

“It is not a light matter. The injuries themselves are very serious and the attack was very sudden and you used your foot as a weapon more than once.

“The fact that there is no apparent long-term injury in this case is luck, rather than judgement on your part.”

As Mr Hammond pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, Judge Hill said that a one third reduction in sentence would be applied.

He gave Mr Hammond a ten-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years. Alongside this, Mr Hammond is required to pay £1,500 in compensation to Mr Batchelor (in monthly instalments of £150), as well as £350 in costs to the Crown Prosecution Service, and must complete 150 hours of community work.

He added: “If, as you are doing it, you find it tough, annoying, or difficult, just bear in mind that if you were not doing it, you would be in prison.”