A MAN who knocked his victim unconscious in a bar in Acocks Green during an attack has been jailed after handing himself into police.
Thomas McDermott punched his victim once from behind in the unprovoked attack at the venue in Warwick Road on June 27 last year.
The victim, a man in his 20s, was struck with such force he was knocked unconscious for several minutes before being taken to hospital where medics treated him for a broken jaw, several broken teeth and a bleed on the brain.
He needed surgery for his injuries and has been left with permanent scarring and remains deaf in one ear.
As part of enquiries, officers were able to retrieve CCTV and the day after the attack the image of the suspect was released on social media in a bid to track down the attacker.
McDermott, who had seen the post, handed himself in to officers on the following morning – on June 29 – saying ‘I’m the man from the media appeal’.
At Birmingham Crown Court the 29-year-old of Brays Road, Sheldon, pleaded guilty to wounding and was jailed for four years.
PC Katherine Rutter, from West Midlands Police CID, said: “Minutes before this abhorrent attack, McDermott had seen his victim make an apparent gesture towards a man he was standing next to.
“But then McDermott struck him, for whatever imagined slight, with such force and aggression it has left the victim with life-changing injuries.
“Such violence is shocking but after we put out his image asking for people to tell us who he was, McDermott did come forward.
“We hope that action and this conviction brings the victim some comfort, and wish him well for the future.”
