A dad has been jailed for breaking another man's jaw with a hammer in a 'revenge' attack outside a tandoori restaurant.
John Paul Grimshaw struck his victim with a lump hammer, leaving him with a double-fracture outside Mister Ali’s Tandoori Restaurant in Prestwich on July 4 last year, Manchester Evening News reports.
The 32-year-old dad, from Blackley, Manchester, was jailed for three years and nine months at Manchester Minshull Street on Monday after pleading guilty to grievous bodily harm.
Before the attack, Grimshaw was collecting a take-away when he became involved in argument with another man inside the restaurant, the court heard.
The three men moved outside and CCTV footage captured footage of the defendant throwing punches at one of the men.
The victim, a friend of the man being punched by Grimshaw, was acting as a peace-maker between the two, the court heard.
“During the altercation the complainant is trying to break up the parties”, said prosecutor Lisa Boocock.
CCTV footage showed Grimshaw getting in a van and driving away from the scene of the altercation.
He then returned on foot from the other direction with an object in his pocket just over 12 minutes later.
Ms Boocock said that based on the width and weight of the item, the prosecution believe Grimshaw had gone away and armed himself with a lump hammer.
He then struck the victim in the face with hammer, leaving him with two fractures to his jaw.
Ms Boocock said: "The defendant hits [the victim] with the lump hammer to the face once.
"The defendant turns his attention to the [complainant's friend] and swings at him with the object, kicking at him with his legs.
"[The man] falls to the floor.
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“The defendant then dropped the hammer and picked it up and continued to pursue him.
"As the footage comes to an end the defendant runs again at [the complainant].
The victim required surgery on his jaw to repair the fractures, and had to go on a liquid diet for a number of weeks during his recovery.
Ms Boocock said that the 'revenge' element was an aggravating feature of the attack.
Defending, Mr Michael James said that his client retaliated after being struck by a glass by the victim's friend inside the restaurant.
He said Grimshaw did accept that he had struck the victim with 'an object'.
"His feeling at the time was that the complainant was not acting as peace-maker," said Mr James.
"He does say he was struck first with a glass. He was clearly very annoyed and upset about that.
"He attended hospital himself."
Sentencing, Recorder Jon Close said: "The victim did nothing wrong. He was the peace-maker.
"Yet you produced a hammer and you hit him in the face.”
Grimshaw, of Leroy Drive in Blackley, was jailed three years and nine months and given a restraining order banning him from making any communication with the victim.
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