AN ATTACKER who left a victim in a pool of blood with a fractured skull has been jailed for three years.

Richard Stuart Taylor, 21, assaulted Polish man Artur Purtak as he walked home through Westbourne with a friend.

Purtak was in hospital for three days and later needed surgery for his horrendous injuries, Bournemouth Crown Court heard on Tuesday.

Taylor, of no fixed abode, also attacked Mariusz Jarzynski, causing actual bodily harm.

Both men had already given evidence at trial when Taylor changed his plea to guilty.

Defence barrister Paul Fairley said: “This is not someone the probation service has lost hope for.

“He is still young. He needs a release date not too far in the future to look forward to.”

Taylor will serve three years concurrently for inflicting grievous bodily harm on Purtak and 10 months for the actual bodily harm.

This will start at the end of a current prison sentence for robbery.

Passing sentence, Judge Harrow said: “The victim had many fractures to his face and it must have been an appalling experience for the victim.

“He had to have surgery and also there will be the psychological effects which will no doubt have caused him considerable effects for months afterwards.”

Judge Harrow asked the Crown Prosecution Service to write and thank a passer-by who intervened in the attack on May 1 last year.