A teenager has been jailed for a drunken attack which left a commuter so badly injured he suffered a brain haemorrhage.

The 17-year-old was part of a gang which launched an unprovoked attack on the man in Ashingdon Road, Rochford.

Victim Mark Eagles, who is in his forties, also lost all feeling in his face, and suffered a broken cheekbone and eye socket. He may never fully regain his speech or memory, Southend Youth Court was told.

Keith Rylands, prosecuting, said a passer-by, Robyn Carter, had come to his aid and called an ambulance.

Mr Rylands said: “She thought Mr Eagles had a deformation. He was slurring and there was blood pouring down his face.”

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted causing grievous bodily harm. He was sent to a young offenders’ institute for eight months.

The court heard Mr Eagles was attacked near Rochford station at 8.05pm on January 21.

A youngster shouted in his face, saying Mr Eagles had bumped into his girlfriend. He didn’t believe he had, but apologised anyway, then felt a blow to the left of his face.

Mr Rylands added: “The next thing he remembers was being kicked in the back of his head.

“At some point, the trolley briefcase he was carrying was swung in his face. He said he’d never felt pain like it before.”

He was taken to Southend Hospital, where a wire had to be inserted in his eye socket, and plates in his cheekbone and jaw.

Mr Eagles is under the neurologists and due to have another operation this week. He has been told he cannot return to work until January at the earliest.

The court heard the young thug had been reprimanded twice before for violence and public order offences.

His lawyer, Simon Samuels, said the boy had been drunk at the time and remembered very little of the incident. He had not touched alcohol since and accepted there was no excuse for what he had done.

The Echo applied to be allowed to name the boy, but this was refused.