THE MOTHER of a Falmouth man left severely injured after a vicious attack has hit out at the sentence handed down to his attacker.

Nicholas Dunstan, 21, pleaded guilty to having unlawfully and maliciously inflicted grievous bodily harm on Robert Snell last June and was jailed for six months at Truro Crown Court.

Robert's mother Elaine, of Tresawle Road, said: "Robert was the life and soul of the party and had everyone in stitches with his jokes, that has gone.

"He (Dunstan) will come out on licence in three months and have a job and have a life.

"I don't know what's in store for my son. I don't know if he will ever get back to the man he was."

Mr Snell, 30, was left with three fractures to his skull, two broken cheekbones, a broken nose, bleeding on the brain and a gash on the back of his head requiring six staples.

Resuscitated

He had to be resuscitated twice in the ambulance on the way to the Royal Cornwall Hospital at Truro .

After a night out, Mr Snell was "jumped on from behind" by Dunstan on The Moor.

A witness told the court the sound of his head hitting the ground was the most disgusting thing she had ever heard and made her feel sick.

Judge Christopher Elwen told Dunstan: "You are a hard-working young man, with a number of valued skills but mindless drunken violence can only result in an immediate custodial sentence."

Robin Smith, defending, said Dunstan was deeply ashamed of the one blow which had changed his life and that of others.

Mrs Snell, who lives with her husband Michael, said: "It has totally destroyed us as a family and we have to take it day by day."

"I was stunned at the verdict. With his injuries Robert is lucky to be alive. He was on the critical list and we were told he may not last the night."

Mrs Snell said: "He doesn't remember anything about the night."

Mr Snell was left partially deaf in one ear, has short term memory loss and is not allowed to drive.

His mother added: "It is very hard to see someone so outgoing and full of bounce to be like he is now.

"I am angry at the sentence. Dunstan couldn't even look at me in court.

"I thought he should have had the guts to face up to us. Who's to say he doesn't come out and do it again, he has done it once."