A KEEN Sunday footballer from Leamington has been forced to give up the game he loves after his jaw was broken in two places when he was attacked in a town night club.
But despite the severity of his injury, victim Lakhdeep Dosanjh had to fight to get the Crown Prosecution Service to take up the case after they had inexplicably decided not to prosecute.
And after showing ‘a complete absence of remorse,’ his attacker Jack Harrison was finally brought to justice when he was jailed for 12 months by a Judge at Warwick Crown Court.
Harrison, of Charles Street, Rugby, had pleaded guilty on the day of his trial to inflicting grievous bodily harm on Mr Dosanjh, having originally denied doing so with intent.
Prosecutor Richard McConaghy said Mr Dosanjh was attacked by 23 year-old Harrison in the Altoria night club in Leamington.
Harrison entered his plea on the basis he had had been involved in a commotion and knocked to the floor – although Mr McConaghy pointed out that had not involved Mr Dosanjh, who had played for Khalsa FC.
Not realising the seriousness of Mr Dosanjh’s injury, the bouncers had simply ejected Harrison from the club.
In fact, Mr Dosanjh had suffered a double fracture to his jaw and had to undergo surgery to have screws inserted in it.
But it is misaligned, and Mr Dosanjh, who can no longer play football in case he suffers further injury to his jaw, is facing the prospect of having to have it surgically re-broken and four teeth removed to have it re-set.
Six weeks after the incident Mr Dosanjh’s cousin was looking for someone on Facebook and saw Harrison’s picture and recognised him as the attacker.
But when he was questioned by the police, Harrison said he had been involved in an altercation during which he was knocked to the floor, and was grabbed as soon as he got up – and he denied throwing any punches.
Judge Alan Parker commented: “It was a pack of lies, and he maintained those lies until today.”
“The Crown Prosecution Service had decided there was no case to answer. But for Mr Dosanjh appealing against the decision, this case would not have been prosecuted. I pay tribute to Mr Dosanjh for that.”
Matthew Brook, defending, said the case dated back two years, partly because of the CPS’s original decision, and Harrison had no convictions before or since then.
