A DRUNKEN teen who followed another reveller then knocked him cold was likened to an animal stalking its prey.

Jay Gaff, who turned 18 just days earlier, was captured on CCTV larking around after delivering the knock out blow.

Sentencing now 19-year-old Gaff to 21 months’ imprisonment, Judge Jason Taylor QC said: “You, Mr Gaff, crept up behind [the victim] like an animal stalking his prey and you punched him forcefully to the back of his head causing him to go to the floor unconscious, where he remained.

“Not only was it a cowardly attack but you simply didn’t care about what had happened to the man you struck and showed no interest. In fact, on the CCTV footage it seems you found it amusing.”

Gaff’s co-defendant, Kameran Muhid, 19, was sentenced to two years’ eight months’ imprisonment after he admitted a common assault on the same victim, causing actual bodily harm to another man, an earlier nightclub affray and breaching a suspended sentence for supplying class A drugs.

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Kameran Muhid outside Swindon Crown Court after a hearing in 2020 Picture: ADVER PHOTOGRAPHER

Prosecutor Ellen McAnaw told Swindon Crown Court on Friday that Gaff and Muhid had been in Korky’s Grill, a Fleet Street kebab house, at around 3.30am on December 21, 2019.

CCTV played to the court showed Gaff throwing up his arm and knocking a box of takeaway food out of the hand of another man. Muhid stepped in and punched the victim three times.

They were ushered out of the shop by staff and other customers, with footage showing Gaff swaggering as he left the takeaway restaurant.

The aggrieved victim of the kebab house assault went to confront Muhid, who was with a woman further down Fleet Street. CCTV showed Gaff creep up behind the victim and deliver a single punch to the back of his head. The man was knocked unconscious and fell to the floor. Muhid could be seen checking on him before walking away. The camera captured Gaff skipping or jogging around the pedestrianised street.

The man was taken to Great Western Hospital and later the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. His jaw was broken and required surgery to pin it in place.

Later the same evening, Muhid was back at Korky’s where he was acting aggressively and confrontationally. He verbally abused a woman and, outside the shop, her male friend tried to calm the situation. Muhid punched him to the face, knocking him out.

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Fleet Street, Swindon, where the assaults took place Picture: GOOGLE

Gaff, of Markenfield, Toothill, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm and common assault. He had a previous conviction for assault dating back to 2017 when he was 16.

Muhid, of Russ Avenue, Faringdon, admitted causing actual bodily harm and also faced sentence for an earlier affray.

He also admitted breaching a two year suspended sentence imposed last summer for supplying class A drugs by failing to turn up for appointments. The court heard he had done half an hour’s unpaid work out of 200 hours ordered, although this had been paused when breach proceedings were begun by probation in the autumn.

Nicholas Lee, for Gaff, said his client had turned 18 just days before the assault. He had gone out and drunk far more than he was used to. He was very remorseful and had stayed out of trouble since committing the offence. He was an apprentice carpenter and had found work within days of being let go by his previous employers after pleaded guilty to the assault last year.

Emma Handslip, for Muhid, said the teen had had a difficult time growing up but was now reconciled with his mother, living with her in Faringdon and was working. At the time of the offences he was living on his own. He was remorseful.