Racist thug broke stranger's jaw in mistaken identity road rage attack

A racist thug broke a stranger's jaw after mistaking him for a man involved in a road rage incident. Andrew Ashton approached the victim on Chorley Old Road in Bolton and punched him in the face before racially abusing him, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

When the man asked Ashton, 33, why he had attacked him, he told him it was because of the road rage incident the previous week. The pair had never met.

When Ashton realised he had got the wrong man he made a racist comment before running away, leaving his bike behind. The victim required surgery for a broken jaw.

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Ashton, of Howcroft Close, Bolton, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm at Manchester Crown Court and was sentenced to 15 months in prison suspended for two years. He must also carry out 200 hours of unpaid work, complete 60 days of rehabilitation and was given a five-year restraining order.

Richard Holliday, senior prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service North West, said: "Andrew Ashton carried out a shocking attack on a stranger, resulting in a broken jaw. The man, who was innocently going about his business, was not only assaulted but also racially abused when Ashton realised he had the wrong man.

"Everyone has the right to go about their daily lives without fear of violence or hate."

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