A THUG who repeatedly kicked and punched a homeless man as he lay helpless on the floor has been jailed. 

The 39-year-old victim had been seeking shelter at Bridestone Shopping Centre, in Congleton, when he was attacked by John Hall, 50.

In an unprovoked attack, Hall beat the homeless man at around 8.30pm on Saturday, May 16 last year.

Hall, of John Street, Macclesfield, pleaded guilty to assault by beating and was handed an 18-week prison sentence at Crewe Magistrates Court on Monday, January 4.

During the court hearing, the judges were shown CCTV footage which clearly showed Hall repeatedly kicking and punching the victim as he lay on the floor.

Due to the severity of the assault, and the fact that it was a blatant and deliberate attack, the court were left with no option but to hand Hall a prison sentence. 

Following the sentencing, PC Iain Bell, who led the investigation, said: “Hall’s actions were simply despicable and I welcome the sentence that has been handed to him.

“This was a totally unprovoked attack and at no point did the victim retaliate in anyway.

“Thankfully, despite Hall’s actions, the victim was able to escape the attack with just minor injuries, although the outcome could have been far worse.”

David Keane, Cheshire's police and crime commissioner, added: “I would like to thank all of the officers involved in this investigation for their work. 

“Incidents of this nature are particularly distressing and I hope that this sentencing will provide some closure for the victim and reassurance for the local community.”