A violent attacker who fractured an innocent man's eye socket in a historic Warwickshire town has been sentenced to three years in prison.
Frenzied attack on helping resident
The incident occurred in Henley-in-Arden in June. Michael Hardy, 37, was seen drunkenly shouting at a woman, prompting concerned residents to intervene. They escorted Hardy away from a driveway in the village to defuse the situation.
After being removed, Hardy ended up on the floor. Showing compassion, one male resident then attempted to call an ambulance for him. However, when Hardy got back to his feet and became aggressive once more, the resident changed his mind and decided to call the police instead.
'Nobody calls the police on me'
Upon hearing this, Hardy launched a frenzied and unprovoked assault. He approached the resident, shouting 'nobody calls the police on me', before punching the victim repeatedly in the head.
The attack left the victim with several serious injuries that required hospital treatment. The most significant of these was a fractured eye socket.
Justice served at Warwick Crown Court
Warwickshire Police arrested Hardy shortly after the assault. When questioned, he refused to comment on his actions. He was subsequently charged with grievous bodily harm and affray.
At Warwick Crown Court on Monday, December 22, Hardy, of Henley-in-Arden, was sentenced to three years behind bars.
Detective Constable Olly George of Warwickshire Police said: 'Hardy’s cowardly, unprovoked attack against a resident who had been trying to call an ambulance for him has disgusted the community in Henley-in-Arden.'
'We arrested him straight away and were able to build a strong enough case to see him charged and remanded in custody. Evidently, Hardy thought he could attack residents without consequence. He now has plenty of time in a cell to rethink his assumptions.'
