A 22-year-old Stowmarket man who carried out a “ferocious” attack on a 15-year-old boy who was left unconscious and covered in blood in a recreation ground has been jailed for nine years.

The teenager was sitting with a group of friends in the park in Recreation Road, Stowmarket in the early evening of June 30 when he was approached from behind by Joshua Williams and repeatedly kicked in the face.

As a result of the brutal attack, which was captured on CCTV, the schoolboy suffered numerous fractures to the bones beneath both eyes and to his nose and had needed surgery to repair the damage.

In a victim impact statement read to the court the teenager described the devastating affect the attack had had on him including being forced to give up football and other sports he had previously enjoyed because of the risk of further injury to his fragile face.

He said that after the attack he had marks on his face from the trainers Williams was wearing when he stamped on his face.

He had been left with ongoing problems with breathing and eating and would need further surgery to his nose in the future.

Williams, of Kent Road, Stowmarket, admitted wounding the victim with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm and assaulting another youth by beating during the same incident.

Jailing Williams, who had taken drugs and had been drinking, for nine years with an extended three year licence period Judge Rupert Overbury described the attack as “ferocious, sustained, pre-meditated and unprovoked” and said he posed a danger to the public.

He said a probation officer who prepared a report on Williams felt he could reoffend in the future with potentially “catastrophic and irreversible” consequences.

In addition to jailing Williams, Judge Overbury banned him from contacting the 15-year-old boy and from entering Stowmarket for six years.

The judge also awarded David Norris, who went to the injured boy’s aid and prevented Williams from attacking him further, £250 from public funds and commended him for his “public spirited and brave” actions.

He said Williams would have to serve at least six years of the sentence before he could be considered for release by the parole board.

Kelly Fernandez-Lee for Williams said her client was remorseful and had broken down in tears when he was shown CCTV footage of the attack by police.