A belt-brandishing thug who repeatedly whipped a stranger in the street in an unprovoked attack has avoided jail.

Tyger Walker’s victim was terrified his eye “could have been taken out” as he was subjected to a sustained beating in Ashford town centre.

The 19-year-old was sentenced to 10 months suspended for one year at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday.

The judge, Recorder Laurence Harris, said: “You started to lash out with your right hand, whipping the driver’s window hard as it passed.

“You turned to a group of people sitting on a bench in an aggressive way and then lashed out with your hand towards Mr Turrell.

“It is then clear that you swung your belt towards Mr Turrell hitting him and then striking him not only around his head but around his body, using the belt to whip him before finally being pulled away.”

The judge described Walker’s actions as a “humiliating attack” where Mr Turrell had “no chance to defend himself.”

Walker’s violence unfolded after he swung the belt around outside a kebab shop remonstrating with strangers.

He then slashed at a passing taxi on the evening of September last year, then walked up to Mr Turrell.

“Mr Turrell stood up to try and calm the defendant but felt a crack to the side of the head as the defendant whipped him with the belt,” prosecutor Megan Millar said.

She described Walker slashing him in the eye and then whipping him over his arms and body.

Mr Turrell sustained two 1cm cuts to the side of his head, a similar cut to his eye and bruising to his arms and shoulder, the court heard.

Walker was soon arrested and claimed he was acting in self defence, however, he pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm, affray and possession of an offensive weapon at an early opportunity.

Mr Turrell told the court: “When I was attacked I immediately felt concerned for my own safety and that of my friends.

“The actions by the offender were outrageous and unprovoked.

“It ruined my night out - he could have taken my eye out if I didn’t put my arms up to defend myself.”

Walker has one previous conviction for assaulting an emergency worker, where he sunk his teeth into a police officer.

Recorder Harris said Walker had become “dangerously close” to a custodial sentence.

But he explained the teenager should serve his sentence in the community as there was a “realistic chance of rehabilitation.”

Walker, of Whitfield Road, Ashford, will be subject to 20 rehabilitation days, 150 hours of unpaid work and 90 days of alcohol abstinence.

He was also ordered to pay Mr Turrel £250 compensation and £150 costs.

“I won’t be touching drink anymore,” he told the court, while appearing from custody via video link.

Kerry Waite, mitigating, said Walker needs to address his drinking and anger issues and is working towards obtaining a cscs card for employment on building sites.