A THUG who attacked a man at the Colne Blues Festival, leaving him with a smashed skull, bleeding and swelling to the brain, has been jailed.

Burnley Crown Court had heard how George Caldwell, 36, had hit William Alderson outside the Derby Arms in Colne.

Mr Alderson, 33, who was in hospital for more than two weeks, had no recollection of what had happened.

He rang his attacker from his hospital bed and Caldwell confessed.

Caldwell, who has a record for violence and 64 previous offences to his name, was partly captured on CCTV in the trouble, during the Colne Blues Festival.

His victim’s head had hit the ground and Caldwell had stood over him.

The defendant, of Essex Street, Colne, had admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm last August 25 and had been committed for sentence by magistrates.

He was jailed for 14 months.

Lisa Worsley, prosecuting, said Mr Alderson had had eight pints and described himself as ‘fresh’. He had been to the festival with his partner and friends.

Caldwell admitted that he had punched Mr Alderson and said he had done it because he believed that he had been hit by the victim earlier in the evening.

Miss Worsley said Mr Alderson was taken to the Royal Blackburn Hospital and then transferred to the Royal Preston Hospital.

He was kept in for 17 days and after the attack suffered from depression and mood swings, which adversely affected his relationship with his girlfriend, and had dizzy spells.

Defending, Richard Taylor said Caldwell had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

Sentencing, Judge Simon Newell told the defendant: “You may not appreciate this, but these sort of injuries, in these sort of circumstances, are a regular occurrence at these courts and quite often the person who sustained them doesn't leave hospital after two weeks, he leaves hospital in a box.

“You could have been facing a manslaughter charge.”