Dramatic footage showed 33-year-old Andre Gustaffe striking the victim in his face, leaving him on the ground outside the Wetherspoons pub before calmly turning and walking away
A yob has been sentenced for knocking out a punter outside a Wetherspoons pub. After the one-punch blow, he appeared to turn and calmly walk away while the victim laid on the ground.
Dramatic footage shows Andre Gustaffe, 33, brutally hitting the victim outside the London and Rye branch of Wetherspoons in the Catford area of the capital. During the incident, the victim was hit just once in the face before being toppled to the ground.
Gustaffe was later arrested and charged with assault causing grievous bodily harm following the attack. In court, he was found guilty and is now starting a two year sentence in prison for the punch.
Woolwich Crown Court heard how the attack took place on the night that England’s men took on – and eventually lost to – Spain in the final of Euro 2024. Shocking CCTV footage captured the moment Andre launched the punch at the unnamed victim, seeming to argue with him before landing the right hook.
Seemingly unprovoked, the suspect was seen throwing a right-hand punch, sending the man to the ground and leaving him out cold, according to The Sun. After that, Andre could be seen turning to his left and walking away from the scene, all while having a sip of his drink.
Prosecutor Richard Jones said that Andrew had not known the victim, who had gone to watch the Euros match with his mates. The victim had later accused Andre of stealing his phone, to which Andre denied doing it.
As the argument wore on, Andre became more and more frustrated and annoyed of being accused of the crime. After an intense argument, he eventually gave in and punched the victim, knocking him to the ground.
According to the prosecution, the man was left with serious injuries in the wake of the attack. “The victim’s skull was fractured and he suffered a brain bleed and bruising to the brain,” Jones said.
The court later heard that the force of the attack was so strong it pushed the victim’s brain three millimetres further into his skull due to the punch. As a result, the victim is now left with learning difficulties, such as problem solving and information processing.
“He gets angry for no reason now and he has been placed on anti-depressants,” Jones added. “He did not have these issues before the attack.”
To make matters worse for the victim, he was forced to take time off work due to the incident, but has now been made redundant. The reasoning for this was because his former workplace “was not prepared to wait to see if he got any better”.
It also emerged in court on Tuesday (September 16) that Andre had already racked up a slew of other convictions. These also included the likes of burglary, robbery, battery and assault.
Defending Gustaffe, solicitor Mark Stevens said that the defendant had since reformed himself, having used to care for his elderly grandmother. He also is a father of one and plays an active role in his child’s life; something that was taken into consideration.
He added that Southwark-based Andre, who was formerly working as a chef before his prison stint, can return to his work after being let out. This now adds a fifth charge to Andre’s roster of convictions.
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