A drunken thug armed himself with a claw hammer and then walked around Folkestone “spoiling for a fight”, a court has heard.

Violent Cee Jay Kirkwood had tried to pick an argument with an innocent man sitting in the Super Pizza shop in Old High Street.

Then the 20 year old went up to another victim walking home…and struck him over the head with the weapon leaving him with a fractured skull, Canterbury Crown Court was told.

Now Kirkwood, formerly of Marshall Street, Folkestone, has been sent to a Young Offender’s Institute for five years after admitting causing grievous bodily harm with intend, assault and possessing an offensive weapon in public.

The judge told him he had struck his victim “without any provocation, reason or justification” and it was “only by good fortune he didn’t suffer life-changing injuries”.

Judge Simon James added: “Your victim, who was a complete stranger to you, had the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“And intoxicated, you wandered around the streets of Folkestone, late at night and armed with a hammer clearly seeking confrontation.

Prosecutor Andrew Forsyth revealed that the victim, Archie Bolton has been left with an indentation in his forehead “the size of a two-pence piece” and a three centimetre scar.

That attack followed the aggressive Kirkwood: “who was under the influence of a substance” goading his first victim into leaving the pizza shop to have a fight in April last year but he refused and took a taxi home.

“Half and hour later Mr Bolton and step-brother were walking down the street eating pizza. The defendant approached them asking: ‘Are you looking for someone?’ before knocking a box from his hand.

“Kirkwood then swung his arm and the victim then thought he had been punched. He then felt a pins and needles sensation. He then put his hand to his head and felt a hole which was spurting blood.”

The thug was spotted in Rendezvous Street still holding the hammer and still arguing with strangers. He ran away and denied involvement when finally arrested.

Mr Bolton was taken to hospital and treated for a depressed fracture of his skull. His family made an appeal on Facebook and the first victim saw it and reported the confrontation to police.