A heartless thug was caught on camera kicking a man in the face after he bought food for a group of street drinkers.
Patrick Walshe, aged 49, also hit the victim with a piece of wood, broke his nose, took his bank card and then left him for dead in Plymouth city centre.
The attack stretched over more than an hour and he used the victim's card to buy drinks in a nearby pub, a court heard.
One witness said he saw Walshe “almost doing a free kick” when he slammed his foot into the man's face, Plymouth Live reports.
Passers-by are seen on CCTV footage walking past unaware of what was going on during gaps in the assault from about 8.30pm.
The victim had stopped to share food and alcohol with street drinkers before Walshe launched his attack, Plymouth Crown Court heard.
A second man, drug addict Donald Murray, joined the defendant for the drink in the pub and went on to use the victim’s bank card all over town.
Judge James Townsend jailed Walshe for eight years and passed an extended sentence, meaning he will not be released for at least six years.
He said: “This was the prolonged violent robbery of a vulnerable man. It was a wholly gratuitous and sustained assault, including savage kicking. He was badly injured and needed hospital treatment.”
The judge ruled that Walshe, with a long list of violent offences, was a dangerous offender.
Walshe, of Frederick Street East, Stonehouse , pleaded guilty to robbing the man and two counts of using his bank card fraudulently on August 21.
Murray, aged 45, of Lockyer Street, Plymouth, admitted ten counts of bank card fraud.
He was in breach of a suspended prison sentence for threatening to slit a woman's throat.
Murray was given a four-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months with probation’s Rehabilitation Activity Requirement. He was fined £50 for the breach.
Lee Bremridge, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said the 47-year-old victim had come to Plymouth to visit his sister in hospital.
He added he visited the city centre and sat on a bench near some street drinkers.
Mr Bremridge said he fell into a conversation with one of the men called Colin and bought a takeaway and some drink which they shared.
The barrister added that Walshe turned up and sat with them – and it was clear he knew Colin.
Mr Bremridge said: “In a completely unprovoked attack, the defendant punched the visitor in the face and demanded his money. The complainant said that he did not have any money.
“Walshe’s response was to repeatedly punch him and in sheer panic he handed over his bank card.”
The court heard that the terrified victim also told the stranger his PIN.
Mr Bremridge said: “It is unclear when it happened, he described Walshe hitting him across the face with a piece of wood.
“He was dazed and could not recall whether he slipped into unconsciousness or not. He was on the floor when he was kicked in the face. His memory of the events after that is blank.”
He added that during the attack, Walshe and Murray went off and used the card to buy drinks in the Eagle pub.
Mr Bremridge said a witness watching from a nearby flat said it was “almost a freekick-style football kick”.
The onlooker called the police and the victim was taken to Derriford Hospital.
The barrister said his nose was broken.
Reading from his statement, he added his face was bruised and swollen and he was in a lot of pain.
Mr Bremridge said: “He says that he was helping a man to buy food and drink and he now wishes he had gone straight home and never stopped in the city centre.”
Jon Holmes, for Walshe, said he never planned to commit a robbery that day.
He said that the defendant had a long history of alcohol abuse but had been sober in the lead-up to the offence.
Mr Holmes added that Walshe fell in with some street-drinkers who had been talking to the victim.
He said: “The man put his hand to the throat of Mr Walshe and that caused a chain to break. That chain was of sentimental value. It had belonged to his mother.
“After that his behaviour was totally unacceptable.”
Ali Rafati, for Murray, said his client was an addict in “stupor” due to his heroin abuse.
He added that he had not been there at the time of the attack and did not know how badly injured the man was.
Mr Rafati said Murray had asked to be remanded into custody because of his drug problem. He added that he had since spent a month behind bars.
