A drug -fuelled thug headbutted and punched a pal who owed him £5.
Steven Dillstone, 23, repeatedly struck his victim in a rage after seeing him on March 14.
When the man tried to escape the attack by walking out into the road, Dillstone followed him and continued to punch and headbutt him in the middle of the busy road.
His victim then ran after the Darlington incident, and Dillstone followed him, pinned him to a wall by grabbing his neck, then put his hand down the man’s trousers, Teesside Live reports.
Teesside Crown Court has heard that the victim then handed over a £5 note.
Dillstone then struck him twice more and put his hands down the man’s trousers again.
On Wednesday, prosecutor Laura Jane Miller told the court that the attack – which lasted two minutes – was caught on CCTV and police arrested Dillistone soon afterwards. He was found with blood on his hands and he had the £5 note.
Ms Miller said that the victim didn’t support the prosecution and hadn’t supplied a statement to the court.
Dillistone, formerly of Church View in Consett, pleaded guilty to robbery before his trial was due to begin. The court heard that he has 18 previous convictions for 34 offences, including battery, theft, and assaulting a police officer.
Kelleigh Lodge, defending, told the court her client suffered anger management issues and accepted he had lost his temper.
Ms Lodge said the two men had been friends, but that her client told her the victim had borrowed money from him and failed to pay it back.
The court heard Dillistone is awaiting possible diagnoses for ADHD and autism and admits he was under the influence of drink and drugs at the time of the attack.
Dillistone has been remanded in custody since March, and Ms Lodge was making good progress with his addictions and mental health issues at Durham prison. She said her client also has sufficient funds for a “budget hotel or a B&B, until he finds rented accommodation” should he be released from prison.
But Judge Peter Armstrong jailed Dillistone for two-years, telling him: “On this particular day, you committed a street robbery. Street robberies are a serious offence.
“You punched him and headbutted him – using your head as a weapon with significant force. I take into account that you apologise to your victim and that you have mental health issues, that you’re addressing whilst in custody.
“You will serve 14 of the 28 months, and will be on licence for the second half of the term.”
Dillistone was ordered to pay the £5 back to his victim via a restitution order.
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