A convicted killer is back behind bars after he headbutted and repeatedly stamped on a man’s head during a night out enjoying birthday celebrations.
James Anderson, jailed for life in 2005 and released 13 years later, had not met his victim Leonard James before the alcohol-fuelled attack in Maidstone town centre in August last year.
Anderson is back behind bars after violently attacking another man outside a pub. Photo: Kent Police
Just seconds prior to violence erupting, the two men had been chatting and shaking hands in the street outside a pub.
But Maidstone Crown Court heard any “warmth” being displayed between them suddenly erupted into chilling violence.
Mr James, who was celebrating his 50th birthday, was left unconscious on the ground with wounds to his head.
His assailant fled – just as he did when, as a 21-year-old, he stabbed a man to death in Cricklewood, north west London, in August 2000.
But on this occasion Anderson, who since his release from serving the minimum term of his murder sentence has married, become a dad, and said to have built a life as a “successful entrepreneur”, did not leave the country.
The attack happened outside Market House in Earl Street, Maidstone. Photo: Google
Instead, having learnt he was again wanted by police, the 46-year-old gave himself up that same day.
As a result, the businessman, of Grainger Walk, Tonbridge, was recalled to prison on life licence and, having subsequently pleaded guilty to wounding Mr James with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm, appeared for sentencing this week.
Prosecutor Bridget Todd told the court it was just after midnight on August 4 that Mr James was attacked in Earl Street and without apparent motive.
Anderson, who had drunk at least 10 pints of beer and a number of shots, was said to be standing outside the Market House pub when CCTV captured the victim walking towards him and others with his hands above his head and waving his arms.
They did not know each other but Miss Todd said the pair could be seen on CCTV footage engaged in conversation and shaking hands.
Mr James then spoke to another man and it was as he turned back to Anderson that violence broke out, she told the court.
Anderson was jailed at Maidstone Crown Court. Photo: KM Media Group/Stock
Describing what could be seen in the images, she said: “The complainant turns his head and speaks to Anderson, only to be grabbed by his left arm.
“The defendant then lunges towards him and headbutts him to the right side of the head. A further punch was delivered and another man pins him (Mr James) down by his neck in the flower bed.
“The defendant continues to assault him with two punches to the head.”
Mr James managed to break free but as he moved away HE was tripped up by another man. A glass was then thrown in the fracas before Anderson ran towards him.
“While he is laying on the floor, the defendant stamps five times on him in quick succession. He was left laying unconscious in the road,” added Miss Todd.
“The incident happens in literally a matter of seconds.”
Meanwhile, with the stricken Mr James on the ground, Anderson left with his group of friends.
The injured man was taken to hospital with wounds to his head but was discharged that same day after treatment.
The court heard however he could not remember the incident and did not give a statement to police.
Anderson, who was said to be working in the whisky industry at the time, was arrested when he handed himself in to Maidstone police station within hours but was said to have “remained silent” when interviewed.
During the hearing, Judge Philip Statman remarked that having seen the CCTV footage both men appeared to be smiling and sharing a “perfectly affable” handshake.
But Anderson’s lawyer Benjamin Waidhofer told the court any “relatively warm” interaction between them changed when Mr James had an altercation with another man outside the pub.
The resulting assault was not therefore “wholly unprovoked”, he said, and the defendant was not someone with “a proclivity to seek out confrontation”.
Judge Philip Statman described it as an ugly attack. Picture: Steve Crispe
Furthermore, Mr Waidhofer said Anderson had since demonstrated remorse and also sought “a great deal” of assistance with his alcohol issues.
“He has made good progress in the community and taken steps to deal with his alcohol problem, the root cause of his offending,” added the lawyer.
The offence of wounding with intent also carries a maximum life sentence but Mr Waidhofer urged the court when deciding the appropriate punishment not to give “excess weight” to his murder conviction, adding it was “of some age”.
Anderson’s wife sat in the public gallery during proceedings on Monday (January 13) and returned on Thursday (January 16) when sentence was passed.
She also wrote a letter to the court, as did her husband in which he was said to have expressed profound remorse. Many testimonials, references, reports and certificates were also presented on his behalf as to his efforts made and status gained while in custody.
But passing sentence, Judge Statman told Anderson that although the time spent on recall may have proved to be “a lightbulb moment” for him, he still posed a danger and therefore an extended sentence for public protection was necessary.
Jailing the businessman for four-and-a-half years, the judge told him: “In my judgement, this was an ugly attack. It took place in a public place. The victim was not responsible for being in a situation where he had in some way contributed to that which occurred between you and him.
“He showed no violence towards you. This is certainly not a case of you acting in extreme defence of yourself.
“It is good fortune that happily, at the end of the day, your victim, on the evidence I have before me, has not sustained even greater injuries than those that were inflicted upon him.”
Of the fact Mr James had not given statements to police, Judge Statman continued: “That is one side of the coin. The other is that there is a public interest in ensuring ordinary members of the community going about their everyday lives must be protected from violence of this kind being perpetrated.”
Alcohol, the judge added, was Anderson’s “Achilles heel” and “at the heart” of the case.
Addressing the efforts made to tackle his problem since being recalled as opposed to when he was serving his life sentence, he told the defendant: “What you are inviting me to consider is that it is your lightbulb moment.
“Whatever you thought about your alcohol consumption in the course of those long years in prison, this recall, you tell me, has had profound consequences in that you now fully accept that the element of danger you pose is triggered by the fact you have a real problem with alcohol which needs careful and long-term analysis and assessment.
“You are a highly intelligent individual. But on this occasion, on the street, having taken at least 10 pints of beer together with shots, you accept that at that stage in your life the Achilles heel of alcohol was triggered, and under the influence of alcohol you become a very different person.
“The red mist descends and, I regret to say, you become violent and you are not a good friend to other members of the community who cross your path.
“That weighs very heavily with me in the course of arriving at the sentence I do today.”
Under the extended sentence imposed, Anderson will have to serve at least two-thirds of the jail term before he can apply for parole and will only be released if the parole board considers it safe to do so.
Once free, he will have three years added to any licence period.
Others allegedly involved in the violent incident await trial at the same court.
In respect of the previous conviction for murder, the victim, Paul Wright, was stabbed to death following an earlier fracas in which another man had been punched and stamped on by Anderson.
According to reports at the time of his trial in 2005, he was working as a bouncer.
The reason for the five-year delay between the fatal incident and conviction was the fact the killer fled abroad and subsequently fought extradition.
Because he was recalled to prison following the attack on Mr James, the five months spent behind bars awaiting sentence will not count towards the jail term he now has to serve.
Investigating officer, PC Ashleigh Fell described Anderson as a “vicious” offender, who demonstrated “little remorse” and made no attempt to seek medical help for his victim.
“Anderson launched a violent and unprovoked attack on the victim, which rendered him unconscious and left him with serious injuries on what should have been a happy occasion,” she said.
“I am pleased the judge chose to impose a lengthy custodial sentence to reflect the severity and impact of the assault.
“It also offers our community reassurance that people like Anderson will be unable to inflict harm on others for the foreseeable future.”