A 25-year-old thug punched, kicked and stamped on a defenceless epileptic man lying in a road at an Anglesey village - after the victim had tried to collect a £3.24 debt.

Graphic CCTV footage was played at Caernarfon crown court which was told the victim, 44, had been unconscious and had fractures to his hip and arm. The court was told he spent around a month in hospital.

James Reilly, of Tyddyn Pwrpas, Newborough, who admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent at the village, was jailed for five years for the attack. He will serve a consecutive prison sentence of six months after pleading guilty to having a Stanley knife on an earlier occasion. The court heard drunken Reilly handed it to a doorman who saw him at Caernarfon last January.

Prosecuting counsel Sion ap Mihangel said on April 25 Reilly had asked to borrow £5 from Malcolm Jones. He was given £3.24 and refused to repay it when Mr Jones went to collect his money later that day.

The prosecutor said Mr Jones had picked up a wooden chair leg, but this was taken by another man, and the victim was knocked to the ground.

A mum with two children in her car had seen Reilly punching and kicking Mr Jones numerous times, making contact with the head and stomach.

Mr ap Mihangel said, such was the force, that the victim moved while the kicks were delivered. The witness dialled 999.

Reilly was arrested on a bus heading towards Bangor. He had a record for violence.

“This was a sustained assault. There were repeated kicks and repeated punches,” the prosecutor added.

Defence barrister Jonathan Austin said Reilly claimed the victim had come at him with a chair leg and it was a case of “excessive self-defence.” There was remorse. A third man had knocked Mr Jones to the ground before Reilly assaulted him, Mr Austin explained.

What happened followed a grievance about a small amount of money. Reilly accepted he was under the influence of drugs but he was now trying to address his problems.

Judge Rhys Rowlands said while under investigation for the knife offence Reilly had committed the very serious assault on a man with health issues. Mr Jones wasn’t swinging the chair leg and it was taken by a third man before Reilly attacked him.

Judge Rowlands rejected the suggestion it was excessive self-defence. “These are both very serious offences which would call for an immediate custodial sentence,” he added.

The judge imposed a five-and-a-half years total prison term and a restraining order was also made.