A drunk thug left a man with a broken wrist and shattered kneecap simply for showing concern for his welfare.

Ashley Horgan's excessive reaction came after his victim had asked if he was OK having seen him stumbling around outside a Folkestone pub and repeatedly lying on the ground.

Horgan not only pushed and punched the man, who had been backing away, but also threw him over a wall and onto a road where up to 12 others then joined in the unprovoked violence.

Canterbury Crown Court heard the victim was left needing emergency surgery, with his mental health in "tatters" and livelihood as a tiler in jeopardy.

Horgan, 33, later apologised indirectly for his actions, committed as he described when he was "hammered", and, once charged, pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm.

The court also heard he did not know any of those who had meted out their own stamps, kicks and punches, or had encouraged them to do so.

But appearing for sentence earlier this month, Horgan was told jail was unavoidable as there was a need to "punish and deter" so people could "go out for a drink without risk of attack".

Prosecutor Elisander Mitchell said the victim was outside the Black Bull in Canterbury Road at about 11pm on August 14, 2021, when Horgan was seen intoxicated, stumbling around, and going to the ground repeatedly before getting back up again.

However, having simply asked another man "Is your mate alright?", he was attacked a few moments later.

"Ashley Horgan removed his t-shirt, ran at him, pushed him to the floor and punched him," said Ms Mitchell.

"Three eyewitnesses all stated Horgan was the aggressor while the victim was backing off shortly after the altercation commenced."

It was during that incident that the victim suffered a broken left wrist. But the violence continued, the court heard.

"He was then pushed over the wall onto Downs Road and the defendant followed him over the wall and landed on top of him.

"He then continued to attack him, and three to 12 others joined in."

Horgan was said to have "temporarily passed out" as those individuals repeatedly kicked, stamped on and punched the stricken victim.

"At some point during the attack by Ashley Horgan and others, the victim’s kneecap was shattered," added the prosecutor.

Police arrived and the crowd dispersed. The victim was taken to hospital and told that despite surgery it was likely he would suffer from arthritis and need a knee replacement in as little as five to 10 years.

The court heard that two days after the assault, Horgan, of Wood Avenue, Folkestone, sent a text to someone he knew saying: "Tried calling. If it's about last night, I was f***ing hammered. Don't remember a thing or who it was I was fighting with.

"If you do, tell them I'm genuinely sorry. It's all my fault. I need to stop drinking."

Horgan, who has previous convictions for wounding and common assault, handed himself into police a few weeks later and was subsequently picked out by the victim in an identity procedure.

In two victim impact statements written in August 2021 and May 2022, the man detailed the ongoing impact of the assault, saying his injuries had had "life-changing" effects for him, his wife and young son.

The tradesman also highlighted his concerns that he would not be able to fully resume his job as it involved a lot of kneeling, and said he had been left "tearful and scared" by events that night.

"My mental health is in tatters," added the victim.

Alan Land, defending, said Horgan accepted he instigated the attack but was "at a loss" as to why others joined in.

"They were unknown to him. They were not his friends, were not acquaintances, and at no point had he asked for any assistance," the lawyer told the court.

"He clearly played a role in it but it was certainly not a group activity or encouraged by him at any point."

Arguing that he could be spared immediate custody, Mr Land said Horgan was "keen to engage" with the probation service to tackle his alcohol issues.

The court also heard that he and his girlfriend cared for six children between them and imprisonment would mean losing his job.

On sentencing Horgan, Recorder Christine Wilson told him she had thought "long and hard" about the appropriate penalty.

She said although the initial attack had been triggered "without good reason" by the victim asking about Horgan's well-being, it was not known if he was responsible for all the injuries caused.

The judge added that she was also "impressed" by character references which showed he was held "in high regard" by others, and that she had considered the help he provided for his girlfriend with the children as well as her own disabilities.

However, explaining her decision to jail Horgan for two years and six weeks, Recorder Wilson said: "The court doesn't impose a sentence of imprisonment lightly, particularly when taking into account a number of mitigating factors.

"But the court must have regard to the need to punish the offending and to deter others so people know they can go out for a drink without being at risk of attack in an unprovoked way."

No orders were made in terms of prosecution costs or compensation.

The exact number and identities of all those involved in the assault had not been ascertained, the court heard.