A teenager who beat a man to the floor and clubbed him "like a baby seal" with a piece of wood has been locked up for two-and-a-half years.

David Simmonds, 19, had been convicted by a jury at Oxford Crown Court of wounding Michael Spearman with intent last month and he returned to be sentenced on Friday, August 17.

Simmonds, of John Morris Road, Abingdon, attacked Mr Spearman and his wife while he was wandering the streets at midnight on June 18, last year.

Judge David Morton-Jack said: "What you did was absolutely dreadful.

"Your middle-aged victim and his wife were going home through the streets.

"You were swearing and behaving like a hooligan. Because your victim rem- onstrated with you, you and a companion returned to your home and armed yourselves with two pieces of wood to use as clubs.

"You were drunk and you set upon your victim, clubbing him to the ground and you then treated him like one of those baby seals which is done to death in that manner.

"It's very fortunate that the grievous bodily harm he suffered was not more serious. It is obvious that behaviour like this has to result in custody."

Nicholas Syfret, defending, said that his client was a "pleasant and caring young man" who had no previous convictions.

He said: "He cannot admit that he was the perpetrator of this violent act."

Judge Morton-Jack said it was possible that Simmonds could not remember the incident because he was so drunk.