The man behind a horrific attack on a council worker with a bowling bowl was "notorious" in Nottingham for dressing up as The Joker.
Damien Hammond, who has underlying mental health problems, is today behind bars for causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
The 31-year-old was told the total term would be 16 years, with 12 years in custody, and he will be eligible for consideration for release on licence at the two-thirds point. His licence was extended for four years on release.
Prosecutor Stuart Lody told Nottingham Crown Court Hammond had "unleashed" a bowling ball wrapped in a piece of cloth, dropping it directly on his victim and causing him catastrophic, life-changing injuries.
Judge James Sampson said Hammond has previous convictions spanning 17 years and no fewer than 110 offences on his record, telling him "you are a prolific offender".
"Your offences have mainly been of an acquisitive nature but also including threatening behaviour and a wounding.
"You are an anti-social, threatening and violent individual and your behaviour is escalating in terms of seriousness."
After the case, Detective Constable Sarah Gregg, the officer in the case, said Hammond was notorious for dressing up as The Joker.
"He has had convictions before where he has been dressed as The Joker. The public are aware that he hangs around town dressed as The Joker, causing public order incidents normally and theft incidents."
His attack on the council worker happened in Strelley Road, Nottingham, on December 30, 2019, when Hammond was in his flat and dropped the bowling ball out of his window.
DC Gregg said: "There were two council workers and they had stopped their van at the side of the road to pick up a broken TV which was underneath his window.
"At that point, Damien Hammond started leaning out of his top window - which is approximately 14-foot up from the pavement - and was basically trying to tell them to leave the TV.
"He became aggressive with them and told them he was going to come down. The council workers were just saying 'this is our job to clean the streets up. We are going to clean this off the pavement'.
"Damien Hammond got a bowling ball, which was wrapped up in a leg of a pair of jeans and knotted, and he threw it out of his window at the council workers, knowing full well that they were underneath his window and intending to cause them really serious injury."
He intentionally went and selected a very heavy item and literally dropped it on someone's head, she added.
"There was no other consequence than a very serious head injury that in the end amounted to lasting brain trauma, and the victim and his family have been hugely affected by it.
"They have been an absolutely brilliant family to work with. They have supported the police investigation and just wanted some justice for the victim, as well as wanting life to go back to normal, but unfortunately for them, because of what has happened, it can't."
DC Gregg went to the scene that day where Hammond - who had been smoking Mamba to excess and had not slept for three days - had created a stand off after the incident
Strelley Road had to be closed for a couple of hours and specially-trained officers had to negotiate with him. In the end he decided to lower himself out of his window and got arrested, said DC Gregg.
He partially landed on the floor and was partially caught by police at the bottom of the window.
