Thug smiles during attack on Portsmouth homeless man

A THUG caught smiling to his pals after punching and kicking a homeless man in the street has been jailed.
Philip Armstrong, 33, of Lansdowne Street, Southsea, was jailed for 12 months after admitting ABH against a homeless manPhilip Armstrong, 33, of Lansdowne Street, Southsea, was jailed for 12 months after admitting ABH against a homeless man
Philip Armstrong, 33, of Lansdowne Street, Southsea, was jailed for 12 months after admitting ABH against a homeless man

Philip Armstrong was drinking in Commercial Road when he was spotted on CCTV.

The 33-year-old unleashed the attack just to amuse and entertain friends.

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At Portsmouth Crown Court James Kellam, prosecuting, said: ‘Police were alerted by the council operators using CCTV system in Commercial Road.

‘What they could see was the defendant and two other men, who appeared to be his friends, approach a man called Michal Hermanowski sitting on a bench in Commercial Road.

‘Initially they appeared to be in an amicable conversation. There came a point where Armstrong took off his jacket and took Hermanowski’s hand, drew the hand to his mouth and bit.

He let go of the hand and smiled to the people he had arrived with.

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‘He was punching and kicking the man to the head and each blow looking at his friends and apparently smiling.

‘It’s not clear from CCTV if the man was knocked out but it’s clear that he offered no violence or retaliation in the ordeal.

‘Armstrong kicked him one last time to the head before walking off with his friends.’

Armstrong has 13 convictions for 16 offences, including robbery in 2013.

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Howard Barrington-Clark, defending, said Armstrong had no recollection but had earlier stopped medication.

‘His actions can’t be defended or excused,’ Barrington-Clark told the court.

Jailing Armstrong for 12 months, judge Robert Hill said: ‘What I have to sentence you for is a particularly nasty assault occasioning actual bodily harm, as far as I can see for no discernible reason other than amusement and entertainment for others.

‘You punched a man incapable due to alcohol, you bit his hand in a particularly nasty way and followed it up with a gratuitous series of kicks and punches including kicks to his head.’

Armstrong, of Landsdowne Street, Southsea, admitted ABH.