A brother who used his sibling's crutch to brutally beat him, kicked him in the head and hit him having been released from jail on licence has walked free from court.
Lewis Rafferty, 25, was spotted on CCTV and was seen to start attacking his sibling in a street near to an Asda supermarket.
During a sustained attack in Gosforth, Newcastle, he struck him to the ground, kicked him in the head and then proceeded to take one of his crutches and use it as a weapon, Chronicle Live reports.
Rafferty pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, however, despite being in breach of his licence for a prison sentence of dealing cocaine and amphetamine, he was handed a community order.
Prosecutor, Ellen Wright, told Newcastle Crown Court that it was just before midnight on November 7, 2021, when CCTV operators spotted the assault.
Miss Wright said: "A police officer attended the area and found a man on the floor with a substantial amount of blood coming from his head.
"The defendant was stood next to him."
The victim, who tried to protect Rafferty by saying someone else was responsible, had a lump on his head and a cut to his eyebrow.
The victim did not co-operate with the prosecution but Rafferty pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The 25-year-old, of Wensleydale, Wallsend, has 22 previous convictions but none for violence.
Recorder Mark Giuliani sentenced him to a 12 month community order with 120 hours unpaid work.
Jonathan Cousins, defending, said it was an "ugly incident" but added that Rafferty was remorseful, adding: "He is extremely upset having viewed the CCTV. He knows how unpleasant it is."
Mr Cousins added that Rafferty got off drugs during his last prison sentence for supplying cocaine and amphetamine and now has a managerial position at an energy firm.
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