BRUTAL ATTACKER JAILED AFTER CABBIE FORCED TO HAVE EYE REMOVED FOLLOWING VICIOUS ASSAULT

A Sunderland cabbie suffered life-changing injuries and had to have his eyeball removed following a vicious street assault by an stranger high on drugs and alcohol, who targeted him as he tried to move his cab.

Jordan Hammond, 34, was jailed for four years at Newcastle Crown Court after admitting to causing grievous bodily harm with a one-year extended licence period.

The terrifying ordeal began in May 2021 when the driver and his partner entered their taxi to relocate it away from their home after being warned that Hammond was trying car door handles in the area.

Hammond, who was riding a bicycle nearby, intercepted the vehicle, blocked its path, and hurled threats before launching into a violent physical assault.

Recorder Mark Giuliani detailed the attack in court, stating that Hammond pulled the driver to the ground and repeatedly struck him in the head and face while shouting: “I'm going to f**** kill you, do you know who I am? I'm Jord Hammond, you are f****** dead.”

During the brutal beating, the victim suffered a suspected fracture to his eye socket and his eyeball ruptured. There was a "spilling out" of the contents, with heavy bleeding. Medical professionals were unable to save the eye, requiring him to have it surgically removed and replaced with a bespoke prosthetic after wearing plastic support around the eye socket for three months.

The devastating physical trauma left him battling post-traumatic stress disorder and unable to return to his profession.

Reflecting on the psychological and emotional toll, the victim shared a poignant statement expressing how the incident ruined his life, noting: “This has had a huge impact. My eye was removed as a result of being attacked. This has changed me as a person, in a bad way.”

While accepting that Hammond did not consciously intend to cause that specific extreme level of harm, the judge noted the offender posed a high risk to the public and that the vicious assault could have been avoided entirely.

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