Two thugs have been jailed for a total of almost 11 years for a vicious attack on a man after he refused to let them stroke his dog.

Marcin Jarosz was punched, kicked and clubbed with a cricket bat in the violence late at night in Chatham in July last year.

The victim was going to meet his wife from work when Ivailo Kolev and Dirtan Kamberaj asked to stroke the pet.

Mr Jarosz told them not to because he feared they would be bitten. As he continued walking along New Road Kolev and Kamberaj, both 35, became abusive and aggressive.

Others joined in, with one of them striking Mr Jarosz on the back of his head with the bat.
Kolev unleashed “a full-blooded kick” to the victim’s face as he lay helpless and injured on the ground.

He suffered a “fearsome wound” to the back of his head and severe bruising.

Maidstone Crown Court heard he had since died in unrelated circumstances. His widow and a work colleague, who both witnessed the attack, gave evidence at the trial.

Kolev, who came to the UK from Bulgaria four years ago, denied causing grievous bodily harm with intent but was convicted and jailed for eight years.

Kamberaj, a car wash employee, of Napier Road, Gillingham, was cleared of the charge but found guilty of the less serious offence of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

He was jailed for 32 months.

Judge David Griffith-Jones QC said he suspected the true reason for the “cowardly and gratuitous attack” had not been revealed.

“Having started the violence by attacking Mr Jarosz you both continued to participate, punching and kicking him as others joined in with you,” said.

“You are fortunate indeed that Mr Jarosz did not suffer more serious injuries than those he did sustain, serious though they were, given that one of your friends deployed a cricket bat at least once across the back of the head, with it causing a fearsome wound, but fortunately not leaving him with a fractured skull.”

Both played leading roles, with Kamberaj instigating the violence and Kolev being swift to join in.

“The incident took place in public at night with witnesses present, in particular Mrs Jarosz who was forced to witness her husband being beaten up,” said the judge.

“In each of your cases a sentence of immediate imprisonment is called for - nothing less will do.”

Father-of-two Kolev, of New Road, Chatham, shook his head and wept on hearing the sentence.

He had admitted the lesser offence inflicting grievous bodily harm before the trial.