Single punch 'changed reveller's life forever'
BBCA man who left a fellow reveller lying unconscious with a fractured skull in a road on a night out has been given a suspended prison sentence.
Ethan McCoy, 25, punched the victim to the face after the man had challenged the defendant over his aggressive behaviour during a night out celebrating a mutual friend's engagement, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
"One night and one punch changed my life forever," the victim, who also suffered brain injuries and a perforated ear drum, said.
McCoy, from Washington, was jailed for 18 months suspended for two years after admitting inflicting grievous bodily harm.
The men did not know each other before 20 July 2025 when they went out in Newcastle city centre together as part of a group celebrating an engagement, prosecutor Emily Sanderson said.
The victim had found McCoy "irritating" as he was "barging into people" throughout the night, the court heard.
'Hyped up and aggressive'
At about 03:00 BST they were walking to get food on Groat Market when the victim asked McCoy why he was acting that way, the court heard.
McCoy responded by punching the victim to the face with "significant force", with the man falling backwards into the road and hitting his head on the surface.
The "hyped up and aggressive" defendant then left while other people ran to the victim's aid, the court heard.
The victim was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary where he was found to have bleeding across his brain, skull fractures and a perforated ear drum, Sanderson said.
In a statement read to the court, the victim said he had gone from being an "active" person who enjoyed rock climbing, mountain biking and hiking to being unable to walk to the end of his street.
The man said he had "ambitions to scale mountain faces around the world," but now could not even carry a bag of shopping without suffering from "shooting pains" in his head.
He said he had been told he would have to manage headaches and fatigue for the rest of his life.
Recorder Simon Rippon said the victim was "ill prepared" and unable to react quickly to McCoy's attack and had been left with "significant injuries".
But he said McCoy was of previous good character and had been assessed by probation as posing a low risk of reoffending.
McCoy was also ordered to complete 250 hours unpaid work and pay his victim £1,800 in compensation.
