A Gillingham thug who battered his friend during a booze and drug fuelled argument, has been locked up.

Dave O'Connell, 31, left his pal Tony Parr nursing "nasty injuries" after the punch up which happened in Rochester.

Judge Stephen Thomas jailed him for 32 months, telling him "It wasn't so much a fight more of a one-sided battering".

A jury at Maidstone Crown Court decided O'Connell had not used a knife during the fight in John Street, and acquitted him of wounding with intent.

Earlier, the 31-year-old of Barnsole Road, had pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of unlawful wounding.

As he was led away to jail, O'Connell thanked the jury for its verdict.

Judge Thomas told him the jury had decided the injuries had been caused last August by punching and not with a knife.

He added: "You have an atrocious record of violence and carrying weapon.

"You had gone around to the home of Mr Parr where you consumed a large amount of alcohol and no doubt drugs then there was a disagreement between you."

PC Tom Slocombe, who investigated the case, added: "O’Connell subjected the victim of this incident to a brutal and prolonged assault which could easily have had fatal consequences.

"His willingness to use serious violence, and a weapon, against another person – especially without provocation – shows him to be an unpredictable and extremely dangerous offender."

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