Thug in balaclava kicked and punched innocent man in head was on the floor

A 'nasty' thug who was asked to leave a conservative club later returned with a balaclava over his face to threaten an innocent man - whilst still in the same outfit he had been wearing earlier in the evening.

Jason Bancroft, 43, was asked to leave the Conservative Club in Whalley Road, Clayton-le-Moors, Lancashire, on the evening of January 21. As he left, he became aggressive and asked one man in his 60s what he was looking at. The man told Bancroft he was not frightened of him.

Bancroft, dressed in a white shirt with a black stripe down the side and grey trousers, later returned and told the victim that he was “a dead man” and that he was “gonna get it”.

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At 10.30pm, the victim left the club and was confronted by Bancroft as he approached his home, reports Lancs Live. The attacker had pulled a balaclava over his face but was recognisable to the victim due to him wearing the same outfit he was in earlier in the night.

Bancroft punched the victim in the face, momentarily leaving him unconscious, and then kicked and punched him to the head while he was on the floor. The victim suffered a broken nose, a fractured cheek bone and serious injuries to his eye.

Bancroft, of Norfolk Close, Clayton-le-Moors, was later charged with assault occasioning grievous bodily harm. He was found guilty of that offence by a jury at Preston Crown Court and sentenced to seven years. He was given a further six months for cultivating cannabis.

DS Sian Hindle, of East CID, said: “Bancroft is a nasty individual who carried out a pre-planned and cowardly attack on an innocent man. After making threats, he had plenty of chance to calm down and think