Exeter man's alcohol and cocaine-fuelled attack left victim permanently deaf

An Exeter man has been jailed after fracturing another man's skull in an attack which left him permanently deaf.

Mark Langdon, of Austen Close in Exeter, admitted grievous bodily harm for an attack on Charley Appleby and has been jailed for 14 months.

Langdon drank 15-16 pints and took cocaine before the assault.

The 31-year-old was seen on CCTV emptying his drink into a plant pot in the beer garden of the Sawyers Arms before punching Mr Appleby on March 6.

The victim was left with a fractured skull and brain injuries which are likely to leave him permanently deaf along with balance issues.

Langdon was sentenced by Judge Timothy Rose at Exeter Crown Court who said: "The level of harm caused was not intended by you but this offence was aggravated by your excessive intoxication, having consumed 15 to 16 pints of beer and some cocaine.

"The sheer nature of this offence and enormity of the consequences mean this sentence cannot be suspended."

The prosecutor, Felicity Payne, played a clip from the CCTV which showed the two men arguing and finger pointing before Langdon moved about a metre or two away.

Appleby carried on talking to a friend he was with unaware that Langdon was approaching from his left.

He was knocked cold by the blow and fell backwards onto the hard surface.

The 26-year-old spent the previous 10 years qualifying as a heating engineer and was working seven days per week to save for a house.

He was halfway through the purchase when he was attacked and is now worried he may lose his job because his injuries have left him unable to drive until at least September.

Mr Appleby himself said he is going through with his house purchase but fears his temporary inability to drive and the continuing physical effects of his injury will affect his work.

Mr Adrian Chaplin, defending, said Langdon is truly remorseful, has made changes to his life to address the underlying issues that led to this attack.

The two men knew each other but there was no bad feeling between them.