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A raging takeaway delivery driver who unleashed such fury his victim suffered a bleed on the brain has avoided jail.
Davinder Singh, 38, punched builder Pawel Gorecki to the back of the head, causing him to fall and smash his skull on the pavement in Hythe.
The violence unfolded after Singh stopped to make a delivery and Mr Gorecki’s group took issue with Singh’s parking.
At the height of the pandemic, the driver was fraught with stress, Canterbury Crown Court heard.
Singh and Mr Gorecki briefly scuffled and, as the pair walked in separate directions, Singh turned to deliver the blow in October 2020.
Mr Gorecki was rushed to hospital and treated for fractures on both sides of his forehead, a broken nose, alongside a small bleed to the brain.
Since the attack he has suffered flashbacks, fatigue and loss of concentration.
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb told Singh: “You went towards your car but then you walked back towards him and punched him from behind, that was a gross misjudgement.”
She added “subdural bleeds” can be fatal, adding: “You are very fortunate that you are not facing a more serious charge.”
Singh was working as a Chinese takeaway delivery driver - while also holding down jobs as a cleaner and lorry driver - at the time of his road rage row, the court was told.
After the father-of-three traded terse words with a member of Mr Gorecki’s group, he made his delivery, prosecutors explained.
He flung a traffic cone towards the builders who were working on a gate, then tussled with Mr Gorecki. As the pair eventually parted ways “the defendant punched Mr Gorecki to the back of his head,” Don Ramble, prosecuting said. “Mr Gorecki went down straight away and appears to have hit himself on the pavement.”
A CT scan revealed various facial fractures and a small bleed to the brain.
Mr Gorecki told the court in a statement he continues to suffer headaches, flashbacks and has “trouble concentrating.”
“Since this incident my physical health has not been well, I get tired very easily,” he added.
The judge heard Singh has anger issues in part stemming from a traumatic childhood and, at the height of the pandemic, worked three jobs to help provide for his wife and children.
“He tells me in the driving jobs there were altercations with other motorists and he describes this incident as the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Paul Hogben said in mitigation.
“This wrong thinking that he has, took over. His response was by confronting that man himself and it clearly escalated.”
The court heard Singh witnessed violence from a very young age and has been working to address his own anger issues.
He has steered clear from trouble during the 20 months since the attack and offloaded two jobs, to reduce stress levels.
And probation reports deemed Singh, of Seaway Gardens in St Mary’s Bay, a “low risk of re-offending and causing serious harm to others.”
Singh was originally charged with causing Mr Gorecki grievous bodily harm with intent after telling police he acted in self-defence but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of grievous bodily harm in April.
Last week he was handed 14 months custody, suspended for two years, ordered to compensate Mr Gorecki £600 and complete 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
