A man who led an unprovoked attack outside a pub, leaving his victim with a fracture to the skull, is beginning a two-year-plus prison sentence.

Liam Quinnin began the assault after being asked by the other man, who was carrying a bag containing bottled beer, for a bottle opener.

Durham Crown Court heard that Quinnin refused and threatened to take the bag from the man before punching him, causing him to fall to the ground.

The defendant was assisted by two accomplices as the victim was kicked and stamped on, in the incident violence outside The Moorcock pub, in Peterlee, early on July 4, last year.

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Dr Chris Wood, prosecuting, said the defendant appeared to be going to film the attack as the victim lay on the ground, but he dropped his phone and was arrested after he went to a police station later to try to retrieve the device.

Dr Wood said the victim of the attack was present in the waiting room at the time and pointed out Quinnin as the perpetrator.

He became aggressive and kicked a police officer as efforts were made to restrain and detain him.

The 26-year-old defendant, of Fourth Street, Horden, appeared for sentence having recently admitted charges of assault causing actual bodily harm and assaulting an emergency worker.

Dr Wood told the sentencing hearing the defendant and associates were approached by the victim, who had been drinking, seeking a bottle opener.

Quinin refused, telling the man with the bag of beer he would, "take them off him", before beginning the attack.

The victim lost consciousness during the assault and suffered a fracture to his forehead bone as well as internal bleeding around his eyes.

Read more: Jailing of man for prolonged attack among cases sentenced at Durham Crown Court in recent days

When officers arrived at the scene, Quinnin’s phone was retrieved, as he had left it behind, and the victim was taken to the police station.

It was while the victim was in the waiting room that the defendant arrived seeking to collect the phone and he was identified as the attacker and arrested.

Upon arrest he said he had taken several tablets as he said he had attempted suicide, so he was taken to hospital in a police van.

Dr Wood said during the journey the defendant began to bang his head off the internal cage in the police vehicle and became aggressive, threatening the officers.

He kicked one of them in the face as he was being restrained and made what were described as, “homophobic remarks”.

The court was told his record of 25 previous offences includes three for violence.

Brian Mark, in mitigation, referred to the defendant’s difficult upbringing and told the court he had experienced "homelessness for some time".

But he said he is now receiving psychological treatment and is soon to start working, while he now also has accommodation, which he would lose if he received a custodial sentence.

Mr Mark, who said the defendant has conceded his behaviour that night was “disgusting” but stated that his efforts to turn his life around may be hindered with the imposition of a custodial sentence.

But Judge James Adkin said it was too serious an offence to avoid an immediate prison sentence and he imposed a 26-month prison sentence, 25 for the attack, plus one, consecutively, for the assault on the emergency worker.

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