A violent thug who seriously assaulted a man he had earlier threatened to murder has been jailed for seven and a half years.
Jason Bancroft had been in the Conservative Club in Whalley Road, Clayton-le-Moors, on the evening of January 21 when, having been asked to leave, he became aggressive.
When other members of the public went to intervene, Bancroft asked the victim – a man in his 60s -
what he was looking at. The victim told Bancroft that he was not frightened of him.
Having left the club, Bancroft – wearing a white shirt which had a black stripe down the side and grey trousers – later returned and told the victim that he was “a dead man” and that he was “gonna get it”.
The victim left the club around 10.30pm and as he got close to his home, he was approached by Bancroft, who was wearing a balaclava and the same clothes as earlier.
Bancroft punched the victim in the face, momentarily leaving him unconscious, and then kicked and punched him to the head while he was on the floor.
The victim suffered a broken nose, a fractured cheek bone and serious injuries to his eye.
Bancroft, 43, of Norfolk Close, Clayton-le-Moors, was later charged with assault occasioning grievous bodily harm.
He was found guilty of that offence by a jury at Preston Crown Court and sentenced to seven years. He was given a further six months for cultivating cannabis.