Thug kicked man in head to impress his friends during 'gratuitous' unprovoked attack in Leeds city centre

Ally Barti, 22, was locked up for eight months after a court heard how he carried out the "gratuitous" assault on the 41-year-old victim in order to impress his friends.

Leeds Crown Court heard the victim boarded a bus in Headingley on his way to work on November 24 last year

Barti was already on the bus with two of his friends.

Frances Pencheon, prosecuting, said Barti was screaming and banging on the upper deck of the bus and was doing pull-ups on the seats.

The man got off the bus near to the Merrion Centre and was followed by Barti and the two other men.

Barti approached him and said: "Excuse me do you have any money?"

The man said he didn't have any money and continued walking away.

The defendant then approached him from behind and punched him several times in the head.

Miss Pencheon said the victim kicked out at Barti to protect himself but he was then knocked to the ground.

Barti kicked the victim three times to the head and upper body area.

One of Barti's friends also kicked the man as he was on the ground.

The victim needed hospital treatment for a dislocated shoulder and cuts to the head.

He also lost his glasses in the attack.

Barti was arrested after being identified from CCTV footage from the area.

The prosecutor said a warrant was out for Barti's arrest over another offence of violence at the time of the incident.

Barti, of Tinshill Crescent, Leeds, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

He has a previous conviction for robbery.

Laura Addy, mitigating, said Barti was sorry for the attack and hoped to get an opportunity to apologise to the victim in person.

She said Barti carried out the attack when he was showing off in front of his friends.

She said: "What Mr Barti tells me is that he was drunk and he was an idiot. He was doing everything that people on a night out do not want to see."

Jailing Barti, Judge Christopher Batty said: "What really troubles me in this case is the public nature of it and the gratuitous violence on someone who was just minding his own business."