A CYCLIST was left seriously injured after he was attacked for nothing by a complete stranger as he rode to work.
Burnley magistrates were told how Robert Mitchell had been struck near his eye and almost went into a wall after the unprovoked assault by drunken Jonathan Michael O’Brien.
Mr Mitchell didn’t have a chance to defend himself in the incident, which was caught on CCTV. He was helped by a passer-by and woke up in an ambulance. He suffered swelling and bruises above his right eye and a cut nose in the 7am incident in Burnley.
O’Brien, 30, of Todmorden Road, Burnley, admitted assault by beating on September 5.
He was sentenced to a 12-month community order with supervision and 200 hours unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £200 compensation to his victim, £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.
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