by Julia Roberts

A Gillingham thug who carried out a brutal hammer attack which left his victim with permanent brain damage has been jailed for 10 years.

James Brown, 37, of Portland Road, struck 41-year-old Peter Bangay with a claw hammer as he slept in a car in April this year. He later brandished the bloodied claw hammer and boasted to partygoers that he had "smashed him up".

Mr Bangay, who is known as South African Pete, was hit once, possibly twice, to his head. Maidstone Crown Court heard he suffered a fractured skull and bleeding onto his brain. He needed life-saving surgery at King's College Hospital, London.

He spent eight weeks in a coma, during which other complications arose. He has since made what was described as "a limited degree of slow improvement" and remains at Addensbrooke Hospital in Cambridge.

"This was a grave assault on Mr Bangay who suffered a life-threatening and life-altering head injury," said prosecutor Peter Forbes. "He has suffered severe permanent brain injury...and is fully dependent on nursing care."

Brown - who was described by his own counsel as having consumed a "grotesque" amount of alcohol before the attack - admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

His girlfriend, 32-year-old Joanne Shearer, also of Portland Road, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice by removing Brown's bloodied clothing from the scene.

Passing sentence on Friday, Judge Martin Joy said he accepted Brown now feels "extreme and genuine" remorse for what was "an appalling act of unnecessary and gratuitous, premeditated violence".

Shearer was jailed her for eight months.