Vicious Wellingborough attack saw thug fracture victim's vertebrae with golf club

A thug who attacked his fellow countryman with a golf club and left him with fractured vertebrae has been locked up.

Adrian Luca viciously assaulted another Romanian man in a row at a house of multiple occupancy (HMO) in Cambridge Street, Wellingborough, before saying he deserved it.

The victim had headbutted the 44-year-old first - but was set upon and left begging his attacker to stop as he desperately tried to escape.

Today (Thursday) at Leicester Crown Court Luca, of Cambridge Street, was jailed for six years after admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

The pair had only recently met with Luca moving out of a HMO and the victim moving in. On November 4 last year the victim went to his room and saw Luca inside and headbutted him. Both had been drinking.

Prosecuting, Andrew Fitch-Holland said Luca then punched the victim and knocked him to the ground, repeatedly kicking him to the body, ribs and head.

"I will show you now," Luca said.

The attack continued and Luca picked up a golf club as his defenceless victim desperately tried to crawl away and escape, begging him to stop.

Luca then struck him with the golf club and hit him again as he crawled outside.

The brutal ordeal lasted about 15 minutes, the court heard.

The victim spent about five days in hospital after he was left with a broken nose, five fractured ribs and three fractured vertebrae.

Luca was arrested two days later and said his victim was a "f****** animal" and that he deserved it.

Mr Fitch-Holland said: "He admitted that he lost control.

"He said in interview 'I just battered him'."

Luca said that he was sorry and that the incident was a mistake, adding that he was drunk and could not control himself.

Mitigating, Michael Harrison said Luca had lived in the UK for about 20 years and normally helps expats in Wellingborough, with his intention initially to help the victim.

"Sadly it did not work out well," Mr Harrison said.

He said Luca feels aggrieved that the victim "took his money, clothes and room" while he was trying to help him out.

Mr Harrison said that the incident was 'out of character' and that Luca had made good use of his time in custody and had taken an anger management course.

He added: "He has done everything in his power to accept and acknowledge his guilt right from the outset."

Sentencing, His Honour Judge David Herbert QC said Luca's actions went well beyond what anyone could say was reasonable self-defence.

He told the thug: "He (the victim) started the violence with a headbutt, but you finished it."

Luca will spend up to half of his six-year sentence in custody with the remainder on licence.