A man who struck a person in the head with a screwdriver has been jailed for seven years.

Nicholas Barrs attacked a motorist while they sat inside a parked car in Gillingham in May 2020, and was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Wednesday.

The 38-year-old of Balmoral Road, Gillingham, admitted attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and possessing an offensive weapon in a public place.

The court head how the victim, a man in his 20s who was known to Barrs, had parked in Balmoral Road to meet with a friend at around 6.50pm on May 21 last year.

As they were sitting inside the vehicle, CCTV captured Barrs walking past the driver’s door before going to the back of the vehicle.

He then reached behind his back to retrieve an item from the waistband of his trousers.

With the screwdriver in hand, he opened the driver’s door, struck at the victim five times and connected twice, leaving the victim with a cut below his right eye socket and another to his forehead.

"Barrs subjected the victim of this case to a senseless and savage attack."

Police arrested Barrs at his home later that evening and received authority to charge while he was in custody. He has been held on remand since.

Detective Constable Michael Rake, Kent Police’s investigating officer for the case, said: "Barrs subjected the victim of this case to a senseless and savage attack.

"Such actions show Barrs to be exceptionally violent and I am pleased that a custodial sentence has been imposed.

"Barrs’ imprisonment is doubtlessly a good result for the community and I hope it provides the victim with a degree of closure."

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