A 26-year-old man with a long history of violence has been jailed for 20 months for knocking a man unconscious in Cirencester.
Gloucester Crown Court was told Thursday (Feb 10) that Jack Ayres, now of Wynn Street, Birmingham, had a long history of violence and had been the scourge of Cirencester for a number of years.
He was banned from entering the town centre in 2016 for three years after a rampage in which he attacked six people. He also received two suspended prison sentences for other assaults.
Prosecutor Nicola Wood said the victim was walking home after visiting a bar in Cirencester on March 7 last year and saw Ayres in an altercation with a group of bikers.
“A short time later Ayres was driving around in his car and spotted the victim and after stopping the vehicle he got out and challenged him and said, ‘Where are your mates now? and hit him in the face," the prosecutor said.
“The victim fell to the ground, hitting the back of his head, and he lost consciousness.
“When he came to he found that he had a broken front tooth, deep cuts to the left side of his head, bruising and lumps on his forehead and damage to his eyes as well as cuts to his elbow, along with bruising all over his body. His dog, that he had been taking for a walk, had gone missing.
“It’s obvious that the assault was not just limited to the victims face.”
The court heard that an appeal was launched on social media which led to the missing dog being located and Ayres being identified.
Judge Ian Lawrie QC interjected: “Ayres obviously has a problem with violence. He has an established pattern of violence over time which is evident in his record."
Ylenia Rosso, defending, said: “Ayres has been in and out of prison for years and his violence has not been dealt by professionals on his release. Historically, he has had a Class A drug problem with cocaine. However, he has been free of drugs for the past two years.
“Ayres was due to have an interview with probation earlier this week but he had a spa session booked and missed the appointment, which in hindsight was a mistake as there is no pre-sentence report today.
“Ayres explains that he believed the victim was one of the group of people who had damaged his car.
“It’s not a case of self defence as Ayres lost his temper, got out of his car and hit his victim."
Judge Lawrie observed: “People hitting the ground as the victim did could result in death and this needs to be stopped. "
Ayres admitted at an earlier hearing to assaulting Mr Saunders in Cirencester on March 7, 2021 causing him actual bodily harm.
Judge Lawrie told Ayres: “I’ve looked at the victim’s personal statement and note that the assault has had a long term effect on him.
“And when I view your record I see that you have 22 previous convictions for violence.
“Often this has resulted in people being punched to the ground and you need to appreciate that people die when they crack their skulls.
“I’ve discounted the idea of having a report from probation as you were reluctant to participate last time, preferring to go to a spa instead.
“This assault was gratuitous in a sustained manner which resulted in cracked teeth and bruising all over his body.
“You have a habitual habit of resorting to violence when it suits you. Various efforts have been offered to help you, but you have chosen not to engage.
“This offence passes the custody threshold and I feel it cannot be suspended. You are incapable of learning lessons in the community.”
The judge jailed Ayres for one year and eight months and ordered him to pay a victim surcharge of £190.
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