Thug Stephen Evans was today starting a life sentence for beating a man over the head with an iron bar in a row over a computer disk.
Evans, 44, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to Kevin Beale, a fellow student at South East Essex College in Southend.
The two men quarrelled after attending a computer course for people with learning difficulties.
Evans, of Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff, struck 40-year-old Mr Beale with such ferocity that he spent two days in hospital and needed 19 stitches.
Basildon Crown Court was told the defendant had a long history of violence, which included pistol-whipping a man during a building society hold-up. He received a ten-year prison term for that offence.
Prosecutor Stephanie Farrimond said Evans was working on a computer at college when he went for a break.
While he was away, Mr Beale came in and removed the machine's floppy disk wiping out more than two hours of work.
Evans complained to a staff member. He said he wanted to punch Mr Beale on the nose.
At the end of the day the pair met up near Evans' car and there was an altercation in which Mr Beale threw the first punch.
Evans went to his car and returned with the iron bar, striking the victim with three or four blows.
He was arrested later and gave police a "no comment" interview.
Basil Hillman, defending, said Evans was brought up in an orphanage.
He was a man with a short fuse who had been trying to put his criminal life behind him.
Published Friday, June 13, 2003
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