Bare-chested yob avoids jail after pinning woman down in Portsmouth street and beating her so hard witness thought she would die

Drunk Aiden Maclean avoided jail after taking revenge on the woman when a street row erupted between a group of people in St James’s Road, Somerstown - a short walk from the police station and law courts.

READ NOW: Dispersal order set-up

Portsmouth Crown Court heard how arguing started in the street outside the Spar shop between Maclean’s girlfriend and the victim, who was with her boyfriend, around 6.45pm on May 8 last year.

A witness, who was in the Spar shop, said the two women were in the road shouting with bystanders “goading” them to fight. “It reminded me of a school playground. It was pathetic,” she said.

The witness said the victim was being “mouthy" during the altercation when Maclean, 27, of Harleston Road, exploded into a torrent of remorseless violence that left the shocked witness fearing the worst. “The bare chested man (Maclean) had enough and started punching (the victim) in the head with a clenched fist,” the witness said in a statement read out to the court.

She continued: “He kept punching her in the face…the force caused her to bang against a wall. I’ve never seen anyone punch so hard and for so long in my life.

“No one else seemed to be concerned. I thought she was going to die. I shouted (to Maclean): “Stop you’re going to kill her.”’

The witness then stepped between Maclean and the victim to prevent further blows. She added: “Her breathing was slow and I was concerned for her life at one point.”

Speaking of the attack, the witness said: “(Maclean) seemed to lose control of his temper. It was frightening to watch.” She later identified the defendant at an ID parade after he had been arrested.

The victim was left with bruises to her head and chest and suffered a suspected eye socket fracture. But after failing to attend a medical follow-up, doctors could not confirm if she had suffered a fractured socket. It meant Maclean was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm rather than the more serious charge of grievous bodily harm, prosecutor Matthew Lawson said.

The victim said of the attack: “I don’t remember a lot. I just remember feeling pain to my face and head and being on the floor. The next thing I remember is being covered in blood.”

Judge Michael Bowes KC said the attack was “wholly unjustified” with it “prolonged and persistent” before adding: “This was an extremely unpleasant and violent episode. It was fortunate her injuries were not more severe.”

Autistic Maclean admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and according to the judge had “accepted what he did was entirely wrong”. The defendant had since made efforts to “sort his life out” and was now working while steering clear of any further offences.

Judge Bowes handed Maclean a 21-month sentence suspended for two years with 30 rehabilitation days and told him to pay £500 compensation to his victim.