Man kicked stranger's head 'like a football' in brutal attack following row over sharing a spliff

A man kicked a stranger’s head like a football after they’d gotten into a fight over sharing a spliff. Omar Suleiman, 26, was sitting alone on a bench, drinking a can of cider and smoking in Alexandra Park when he was approached by the man.

They spoke briefly before the man asked to have some of the cannabis cigarette Suleiman was smoking. He refused and an argument quickly developed into a scrap with the victim attacking him first.

In response, Suleiman, of Hulme, launched a brutal attack on him, repeatedly punching him to the face.

READ MORE: Behold... Piccadilly Gardens in all its lush glory as grass 'looking like Wimbledon' - for now

Other park-users looked on in horror as he used the man like a ‘punching bag’ with some not initially believing the man on the floor was a human being. He then took a running kick to the man’s head, ‘kicking it like a football’.

He eventually stopped, despite their interventions, and left the park. The man was in a coma for a number of weeks and suffered a traumatic brain injury, Manchester Crown Court heard.

Suleiman has since pleaded guilty to wounding with intent and was jailed for over seven years.

Prosecuting, Andrew Evans said that on March 25 last year the victim approached Suleiman and they started making small talk. He then asked about the spliff, and he said no.

He continued asking about the spliff before ‘exploding in rage’.

“He pulled the defendant to the ground and punched him to the body and face,” Mr Evans said. “The complainant got off him before kicking him to the body and face.”

During the initial attack the victim pushed his thumbs into Suleiman’s eyes, before he responded in ‘excessive self defence’.

“A witness who had just stopped exercising saw two girls