A teenage thug who repeatedly punched and stamped on a stranger in a high street attack during a drink and drugs binge has been locked up.

James Beaumont, from Canterbury, rained blows on Lewis Gordon, causing head injuries as he lay defenceless and prone in King Street, Ramsgate.

A judge sentenced the 19-year-old to three years inside a Young Offenders Institute at Canterbury Crown Court on Thursday.

An unidentified male pursued intoxicated Mr Gordon before kicking him in the face causing him to fall, CCTV footage played in court showed.

Seeking refuge, Mr Gordon retreated and sat in the doorway of Courts Pharmacy as the suspect gestured aggressively in pursuit, prompting two witnesses to intervene.

Suddenly, Beaumont ran at speed and launched a string of punches and a single stamp to Mr Gordon’s head in the cowardly attack, on the evening of February 12.

“The defendant runs up and punches him a number of times and seems to stamp on him,” prosecutor Bridget Todd explained.

“He then goes back and is prevented from further assaulting him by members of the public and Mr Gordon is seen laying on the floor.”

Mr Gordon was treated for a broken nose, fractured finger, and suspected broken eye-socket at a nearby hospital, the court heard.

'I don’t want to go out and about in case anything like this happens to me again...'

Beaumont was arrested 20 minutes afterwards, having been identified on CCTV.

That night, he would tell detectives he was on the cusp of a cognac and cocaine binge, and admitted feeling “aggressive and paranoid” while levelling unfounded allegations towards Mr Gordon.

Meanwhile, Mr Gordon’s physical health slowly improved as his pre-existing issues with depression and anxiety were amplified.

“This incident has affected me. I don’t want to go out and about in case anything like this happens to me again,” he said.

Judge Simon James dubbed the attack a "prolonged and persistent assault".

Beaumont, of Lancaster Road, pleaded guilty to wounding Mr Gordon with intent at an early opportunity.

Mitigating, Beaumont’s barrister argued he “admits what he did was very wrong and he’s very sorry for that”.

She said he suffered a “very unstable home-life and has been around violence from a young age” and being on remand had been a “great shock”.

“His anger took over and his shock took over and given he has been around violence since a young age that does affect his culpability,” she said.

Time already spent on remand will be deducted from his overall sentence.

Investigating officer PC Joshua O’Donnell said: "The victim suffered serious injuries in the attack, which was completely unprovoked. He has since recovered from his injuries but the effect this attack will have on him will likely stay with him forever.

"I am pleased Beaumont is now behind bars. The sentence reflects the severity of his actions and sends a clear message, that violent offenders will be dealt with robustly."