Drunk Ex-Soldier Savagely Beats Blind Housemate

A court in the United Kingdom sentenced an ex-army man to 42 weeks in prison and awarded him a suspended sentence for 18 months, after he was found guilty of causing bodily harm to a blind man, while in an inebriated state.

According to a Manchester Evening News report, 27-year-old Darren Elias, who appeared at Manchester Crown Court, pleaded guilty to "one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm."

The victim, Elias’ former housemate, was punched and kicked in the face multiple times after a row got out of hand, prosecutor Andrew Evans told the court.

The victim, who can only see shapes and outlines, had come home to find the door locked, the court heard. Upon banging on it several times, Elias finally opened the door. The defendant is reported to have accused the victim of not paying his share and asked him to leave. When the latter resisted, a fight broke out.

"Things had reached a crescendo, because of problems with living arrangements," Elias' lawyer Estelle Parkhouse told the court. "He [Elias] wanted him out of the address."

Parkhouse said Elias, from Salford, suffered post-traumatic stress disorder following his eight-year service in the army as an infantryman. He also drank regularly. However, she stated the offence was serious and Elias was remorseful.

Elias would need to complete 25 days of rehabilitation activity as a requirement, Judge Martin Walsh ruled.