A father-to-be who left a cyclist with catastrophic brain damage in a road rage incident has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Julian Webster remains in intensive care in a London hospital 11 months after the assault by John Paterson and will have to live in a specialised unit when discharged.

A judge told Paterson, who has previous convictions for violence: “It is no exaggeration to say you have ruined what remains of that man’s life. You are clearly a man who has a short fuse.”

Maidstone Crown Court heard last month how the 61-year-old victim jumped a red traffic light on his bike and then confronted Paterson after he passed close to him on his Honda CB400 motorbike.

During a tussle, Paterson, wearing a full face crash helmet, floored Mr Webster with a single punch. He lay unconscious on the ground after striking his head.

He was airlifted to a London hospital and needed emergency surgery for a blood clot to his brain.

A jury was shown CCTV footage of the incident near the traffic lights on the corner of Rochester Esplanade and the High Street on the morning of Sunday, May 28.

It showed Mr Webster on his bike and Paterson, who was disqualified, waiting at the lights on his motorcycle with his girlfriend on the pillion.

As Paterson, 26, crossed the junction, Mr Webster came off his cycle. Paterson stopped and was confronted by the victim.

Paterson’s girlfriend attempted to step between them but he pushed her aside and lashed out with his left hand. Mr Webster, from Rochester, was left lying on his back, seriously injured.

Prosecutor Ed Fowler told Maidstone Crown Court Paterson then left the scene and later lied to the police that his motorbike had been stolen.

Paterson, of Frindsbury Road, Strood, denied inflicting grievous bodily harm, but was convicted by a majority of 10-2.

He admitted driving while disqualified and having no insurance.

He was jailed for 30 months for the assault charge and one month consecutive for driving while banned. He will be disqualified for six months on his release from prison.

Paterson, who has previous convictions for inflicting grievous bodily harm, threatening behaviour and robbery, claimed in evidence he was acting in self-defence after Mr Webster attacked him.

He said he saw the cyclist and thought he was going to collide with him.

“I did scream ‘F---‘ because I thought I was going to take the guy out,” he told the jury. “He may have taken that as me shouting at him.

“He dropped his bike. I looked back. I thought he had come off his bike. The gentleman approached me. He was very irate, screaming and swearing.

“He grabbed my helmet. I had my visor up. He reached into my helmet and was pulling and pushing me. He pulled my face down.

“I let go of my bike. He was saying ‘You ------- want it. Who the ---- do you think you are?’

“I thought it was completely uncalled for. I didn’t understand what I had done wrong. I was just saying: ‘Let go of me.’ I didn’t want to be assaulted.

“The gentleman would not leave. I was frightened. He had run up and started assaulting me. Now, he is threatening to do it again. I didn’t know what to do and I reacted.

“I felt a kick to my groin. I gave a left punch in order to get him away from me. That’s what I felt I needed to do. I am right handed.”

Judge Martin Huseyin said he accepted Paterson was provoked, but added he lost his temper and caused very serious injuries.

“He approached you aggressively,” he said. “He was, however, much older than you and very much of lighter build. He represented no threat at all to you.

“I have to conclude you punched him very hard indeed. The evidence is he went down without his knees buckling. He was probably unconscious before he hit the ground, rather like a tree falling.

“He hit his head very hard on the pavement. Having knocked him unconscious, you left the scene. The injuries were catastrophic.”

Family man Mr Webster had been fit, swimming every day. Now, he could not walk and could barely speak. He could not dress or feed himself.

The judge said while the level of harm was high, Paterson’s culpability was in the lower range.

“It is a great shame that after starting to get your life back on track you should do something like this,” he said. “I accept there is genuine remorse.”

Ben Irwin, defending, submitted on Friday that the sentence could be suspended, so that Paterson could put something back into the community.

“When Mr Paterson was confronted by Mr Webster he had no idea things would escalate as they did. He had no idea when he threw the punch with his left had it would have devastating consequences.

“He doesn’t for a moment seek to minimise the consequences. It was a momentary loss of temper o the jury’s verdict. It was not a sustained attack.”

Mr Irwin added Paterson, father of a child, aged three, was in trouble with some regularity when he was 16 but had found salvation in work with a marine welding company.