'He knocked me unconscious and broke my jaw - he should have gone to jail for years'
A victim who suffered a broken jaw when he was punched in the street by a stranger has spoken of his dismay at the jail term handed to the man responsible.
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Desmond Flaherty, aged 75, was walking in West Bromwich on the evening of March 2 last year when he was attacked from behind by drunken Elvis Cani.
He was knocked unconscious to the ground in Carters Green and also suffered a cut to his left eyebrow during the incident.
Seconds later the defendant, aged 30, punched a male shopper in the mouth as he left a supermarket. Then a short time later he struck a female passer-by who tried to intervene.
When officers arrived in the High Street to arrest Cani he spat at one of them. He also later spat at a nurse trying to treat him for injuries to his face at Sandwell General Hospital where he was taken by the crew.
Cani, aged 30, was jailed for a total of 94 weeks at Wolverhampton Crown Court for the offences.
Responding to the sentence Mr Flaherty, a market trader, said he was still recovering from the incident.
"The sentence is ridiculous. It's all wrong. He's been treated like he's the victim and not us," he said.
"It's affected me physically, mentally and financially. As a result of what happened to me, I couldn't run my own stall and I lost my pitch as a consequence.
"It cost me six weeks worth of work and I'm helping out my son at the moment until I get my space back in the market.
"On the CCTV it shows me being attacked from behind by this bloke. I was knocked unconscious and my jaw was fractured. I couldn't eat for six weeks, I could hardly stand up.
"As far as I'm concerned he should have been jailed between six and seven years.
"There were other victims who he hurt as well including the lady who came to my aid.
"I'm not happy at all with the 94-week sentence. He won't even serve all of that in prison."
Cani, of Lakeside Road, Hill Top, admitted one count of unlawful wounding, one count of assault on an emergency worker and two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
He was jailed for a total of 94 weeks. He must serve half, but due to time already spent in custody on remand he was due to be released after the hearing.
Defendants are sentenced for crimes in accordance to sentencing guidelines set by the Sentencing Council. Cani was prosecuted under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.
