A MAN brutally assaulted his neighbour who owed him £20 in a lockdown attack, fracturing his eye socket, while living in a “pressure cooker” environment.

Russell Wigley, 35, of Aylesbury Road, Bournemouth, was jailed for four years after being found guilty of committing grievous bodily harm with intent to Jason Paterson in Bemister Road on April 29, 2020.

The defendant was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on January 24.

The court heard how Wigley and Mr Paterson were living in separate rooms with shared amenities.

Wigley had fallen out with the victim on a number of occasions previously and had leant him £20 before the attack.

At around 4.30am, Mr Paterson went to the bathroom. Upon coming back out, an alcohol-fuelled Wigley grabbed hold of him and started repeatedly punching him to the left side of the face.

Wigley then stamped on his head while the victim was on the floor. The victim suffered fractures to his left eye socket and left side of his face which required an operation.

Prosecution counsel Stuart Ellacott told the court Mr Paterson had his operation delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic, required 52 stitches and had problems eating.

He added the victim was recovering from mental health difficulties and the attack had set him back.

Mitigating, Aleks Lloyd, said Wigley had a history of mental health problems and the defendant felt “it was leading this way in terms of the way his life had spiralled down”.

He added this was the defendant’s only offence of violence and it was an “isolated incident”.

Despite this, Recorder Richard Mawhinney sentenced Wigley to four years imprisonment.

Recorder Mawhinney said: “The victim had previous mental health problems, had started to make progress and this assault has set him back.

“The victim was 49 and a slight man, you are 35 and very athletically built. He would not have been able to resist you even if he had been expecting it.

“You were under the influence of alcohol and this attack occurred in the course of the Covid lockdown in circumstances appropriately described as a pressure cooker environment.

“The sentence is one of four years imprisonment.”