A MAN who smashed his head onto a concrete footpath after a vicious and unprovoked one-punch attack at Yackandandah had his life changed by the assault.
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A “loud, sickening noise” was heard as the man’s head smashed into the footpath during the January 2 assault outside the Star Hotel.
The victim was left with injuries he fears he will never recover from and he constantly worries about other unprovoked assaults.
He has had to change the way he lives and says he is lucky to be alive.
The man’s victim impact statement was read out in the Wodonga Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday in a hearing for Joel Eamon Walton, 32.
The court heard Walton had walked over to a group of people and punched the man once to the face without warning or provocation.
The man was unprepared for the hit and and was not defending himself.
He was knocked unconscious and an off-duty nurse rendered first aid after hearing his head impact the ground.
Walton had tried to run from the scene but one of the victim’s friends grabbed and held him.
He slipped out of his black T-shirt and ran from the hotel.
The victim was taken to hospital with swelling at the back of his head, a sore jaw and memory loss.
Walton was arrested two days later and did not comment when interviewed.
The victim missed a week of work, felt foggy and struggled to think straight.
“Physically, I was lucky not to have more serious injuries,” he said in his statement.
“A laceration on my head from the concrete and a lump took weeks to heal.
“I am lucky to be alive.
“Emotionally, I think about the incident regularly.
“(It made) me feel sick and depressed, especially in the weeks following the incident.
“It has changed my life.
“It left me feeling angry, fearful and frustrated.”
The victim no longer feels comfortable going out to bars, clubs, restaurants and public functions.
“When I have ventured out I am uneasy and uncomfortable, constantly worrying that an unprovoked action may happen,” he said.
Walton’s lawyer argued the victim had had his arms raised and was facing Walton when he was hit.
But a police prosecutor called for a deterrent when sentencing the Chiltern man, who has priors, noting such incidents are “a massive concern to the public”.
