Leamington victim says attacker who nearly killed him has got away with a 'slap on wrist' as punishment

A Leamington man ‘whose life has been ruined’ after he was the victim of a cowardly assault while on a night out in Birmingham last year says his attacker has ‘got off with a slap on the wrist’.

Lucas Roddis, 19, was given a suspended sentence after carrying out an unprovoked attack on a complete stranger during a night out in Birmingham last November.

At Birmingham Crown Court earlier this month Roddis, of Guernsey Drive, in Smith's Wood, Solihull, admitted an offence of unlawful wounding - s20 grievous bodily harm - and received a 12-month sentence suspended for two years.

He also received was a three-month curfew and being ordered to pay £1,000 compensation.

Roddis’ sickening punch to the victim was unprovoked, from behind and caused the man to suffer a head injury as he fell to the floor onto cold hard concrete and was knocked unconscious.

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The victim, who has asked to remain anonymous, has said ‘his life has been ruined by the incident’, that he has been unable to return to work in the construction industry or provide for his family and suffers from horrific nightmares and PTSD.

He was told by doctors at Birmingham Hospital that if they had been brought to them ten minutes later he would be dead.

He now has a metal plate in his head and a scar from where he was operated on.

He said: “I just think there is something wrong with the justice system when somebody can nearly kill somebody and only get a slap on the wrist for it.

"I wanted to get the message out there because something needs to change and lads like Roddis will then maybe think twice about punching somebody.”

Roddis' sentence also included 25 days of rehabilitation activity and he was ordered to pay £425 costs and a £187 victim surcharge on top of the compensation and curfew.

Recorder Dan Stacey said the sentence was 'no let-off' and an 'extremely serious sentence for a serious crime'.

Mr Stacey ruled not to send Roddis to prison mainly due to his lack of previous convictions, 'genuine remorse' and good prospects of rehabilitation.