A MAN with 40 offences on his criminal record has been jailed for attacking a man with a wooden plank that had nails in it in an unprovoked late night rage.

Stephen Marson, previously of Cochrane Street, Selby, was handed two prison sentences — one for a year and nine months and another for 12 months — to run concurrently, for charges of assault causing actual bodily harm and possessing an offensive weapon.

Marson, aged 24, appeared by video link from Hull Prison to be sentenced by the Recorder of York Judge Stephen Ashurst at York Crown Court.

The court heard that Marson had picked up a piece of wood with nails in it and hit his victim Gavin Higgins in the early hours of September 27 in The Chimes, Selby, and continued to hit him once Mr Higgins had been knocked unconscious.

The judge told Marson that he was concerned to see that 17 out of his 40 crimes were violent or had involved public order offences or weapons.

He added: “It seems that whatever the source of your problems, you resort to violence very easily.”

Judge Ashurst had also read a letter from Marson in which he said he knew he had to stop doing “nasty, unacceptable things”.

The judge said: “That’s a good description of what you did to Gavin Higgins on September 27.”

He added: “The only way that you are going to be able to make something of your life is if you resolve, on this sentence, to do something about your drinking.”

For Marson, defence barrister Lee- Anne Robins-Hick said her client had been distressed at the time over family matters, and now felt genuinely remorseful.

“He in no way condones his behaviour.

“He is ashamed of himself and of his actions.”

The attack was indiscriminate, Miss Robins-Hicks added, and the last time Marson committed a similar offence was three years ago.

No evidence was offered on two other counts of assault causing actual bodily harm against Marson.