A VICTIM of a violent, unprovoked attack told how he thought he was going to die when he was bludgeoned over the head with a wheel brace.

James Hoban was in a drug induced haze when he tried to rob an off licence and then launched into a completely random attack on a passerby who was on his way home.

He confessed to the crimes when he was arrested by police on suspicion of drug driving the following day.

Judge Christine Henson handed him a 10 year jail sentence yesterday at Hove Crown Court for the “spree of uncontrolled violence” and one of his victims, Den Tanner, told The Argus he was so affected by the attack he did not leave his house for weeks.

The 59-year-old went to a corner shop in Western Road at around 6.45pm on January 2.

Just as he put the key in the door of his Brunswick Road home on his return he said someone “came out of nowhere” in the pitch black behind him.

He felt a “wallop” on his head, fell against the door and to the floor.

Hoban hit him six times with the metal tool before kicking him in the teeth, Guy Russell, prosecuting, told the court. He only ran off when Mr Tanner “screamed like a baby” as loud as possible to get the attention of his neighbours.

Mr Tanner said he is convinced if he had not been wearing a Fedora-style hat, which protected his skull from the blows, he “would have been a dead man”.

He said: “He only stopped attacking me and ran off when he saw the light go on in the hall of my building.

“I was terrified. There was blood everywhere. I spent four hours in A and E, was in hospital over night and had to have 23 stitches.

“I couldn’t leave the house for weeks and I then got an infection.”

The court heard how he asked Hoban why he was attacking him but there was no reply.

Just an hour and a half earlier the 31-year-old had gone into Hartley’s off licence in Hangleton Way, his face covered with a balaclava, and demanded money from shop assistant Thomas Manouch.

Mr Manouch swore at him and told him to leave, the court heard, but was grabbed by the throat and then hit over the head twice with the weapon before fleeing.

Mr Manouch said the attack had a “massive impact” on his health and day-to-day life.

Father-of-four Hoban, of Laburnum Avenue in Hove, dumped the wheel brace which was covered in his DNA and the blood of his two victims.

When he confessed to police the next day that he had “hit an old man”, he led them to it.

Judge Henson said Hoban seemed to have a “pattern” of violent and reckless behaviour when handing him consecutive sentences of three years for the attempted robbery and seven years for wounding with intent making a total of 10 years.

He was also handed concurrent sentences of two years for the two counts of possessing an offensive weapon. He admitted all four offences.

Hoban admitted all four offences and had already been convicted six times for 16 offences.

Mr Russell told the court the crimes began with burglary when he was a juvenile and leading to dangerous driving, for which he served time in jail.

Paul Walker, defending, told how the "extremely serious violent" incidents were "out of character" and had come after he lost a steady job, his relationship broke down and he became depressed.

The court heard how he was a father to four young children aged between two and 12. His father-in-law, auntie and girlfriend wept in the court as he was sentenced.

At interview when asked why he was smiling he said "life is funny isn't it?", the court heard.

Mr Tanner said he did not think jail time was the answer and Hoban needed therapy.

MY LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN AFTER ASSAULT

A SHOP assistant said being attacked by James Hoban changed his life forever.

Thomas Manouch, 61, described the moment he was grabbed by the neck and hit over the head twice with a wheel brace when Hoban tried to rob Hartley’s in Hangleton Way, Hove, on January 2.

The attack lasted no more than 15 seconds but Mr Manouch continues to live in pain and still has severe migraines. He struggles to get more than a few hours’ sleep a night and has to take sleeping pills.

He said he could no longer work in the same store and was constantly reliving the incident but he had “no feeling” towards Hoban.

In a statement read to the court on his behalf he said: “I can’t believe what this has done to me and the massive impact this had on my health and day-to-day life.

“I am anxious about everything.

“I find myself worrying about the attentions of others.

“I don’t like being in the back of the store after dark and anyone who comes in I think they are going to rob us. It has affected my situation at home.

“I sit in the lounge in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep. I don’t want my family to see me like this.

“I know he [Hoban] made a choice that day to try and rob me. He made a choice to try and attack me.

“As a parent I feel sorry for him that things got so bad and he got so desperate. He is someone’s son. But I know there’s enough help and support in this city rather than doing what he did.”