This is the shocking moment a man is punched to the ground by a thug in a row over a Tyson Fury fight.
CCTV shows Perry Cranston being repeatedly punched and kicked in the attack – described by police as an act of ‘mindless violence’.
It left the 25-year-old needing part of his skull removed in order to save his life.
The attack took place outside nightclub ‘Rush’ in February last year as Cranston and his attacker, William Dennis, 23, waited for taxis.
A court heard the pair, who were both out with friends ahead of the Tyson Fury versus Deontay Wilder fight, exchanged words outside the venue.
Then, in what police described as a ‘mindless moment of violence’, Dennis, 23, attacked Mr Cranston – repeatedly punching and kicking him.
Mr Cranston suffered a large laceration on his head, a bleed on the brain and numerous skull fractures – which left him with a large dip in his skull.
Dennis has since been jailed for the attack. Mr Cranston, meanwhile, fears he will no longer be able to live a ‘normal life’.
Perry Cranston, 25, suffered a large laceration on his head, a bleed on the brain and numerous skull fractures – which left him with a large dip in his skull
Mr Cranston has a large scar now across the back of his head following the attack in Mansfield
In what police described as a ‘mindless moment of violence’, William Dennis, 23, attacked Mr Cranston
‘I was in hospital for eight months receiving treatment for multiple skull fractures until doctors attempted to replace the missing fragments of my skull with a metal plate,’ he said.
‘When they attempted to install the plate, it got infected and had to be removed.
‘I’m now left with a part of my skull missing while I wait for an operation and it won’t be until March when I get my pre-op with a view to having a new plate fitted in April.
‘It’s restricted me from living my normal life. I can’t work, can’t exercise, I can’t do anything at the minute.’
Dennis, of Kempton Road in Mansfield, was sentenced to 14 months in prison after pleading guilty to the causing grievous bodily harm on January 8 this year
He told how his parents were informed his chances of survival were ‘pretty slim’ before medics cut ‘half his skull away’ to save his life.
A court heard both men had been out with friends in Manfields, prior to the Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder boxing match on February 23 last year.
As both groups waited to make their way home, they started ‘talking and bantering’ about the forthcoming fight while waiting for taxis.
But the ‘banter’ quickly turned into a dispute and Dennis began swinging punches at the victim.
Mr Cranston said: ‘I can’t remember much about it as I was in a coma for so long.
‘But he was one side of the road and I was the other and we knew each other anyway from our local pub so we probably did talk.
‘He told the police we were talking about boxing, the Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder fight later that night.
‘I wanted Tyson Fury to win and he wanted Deontay Wilder to win and then I don’t know if we had a bit of tiff about that. That is the only thing I can think of.’
A court heard Dennis had ‘seen red’ after Mr Cranston allegedly made a reference to ‘white power’, though Mr Cranston denied being racist and said he did not make the remark.
He added: ‘He came forward and said I was racist towards him, but I was with two of my black friends. He was trying to worm his way out and justify it.
‘It was a one-sided assault and he hit me nine times, I was trying to walk away.’
Harrowing footage shows Mr Cranston (pictured months after the attack) falling backwards before he hit his head on a kerb causing major bleeding to the brain
During the attack, Dennis grabbed Mr Cranston’s chest and dragged him into the road, punching him up to nine times – the last one knocking him out cold.
Harrowing footage shows Mr Cranston falling backwards before he hit his head on a kerb causing major bleeding to the brain.
He was rushed to Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre after suffering a large laceration to the back of his head and multiple skull fractures.
The trainee electrician had to be put into a coma before having a portion of his skull removed as medics battled to save his life.
He has been left with memory problems and has to wear a helmet for protection after a steel plate fitted by surgeons had to be removed after it became infected.
Dennis, of Kempton Road in Mansfield, was sentenced to 14 months in prison after pleading guilty to the causing grievous bodily harm on January 8 this year.
Detective Sergeant Jamie Moore, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: ‘In cases like this there are no winners, a man has suffered life-long injuries and a young man is now in prison.
‘This mindless moment of violence changed the course of both the victim’s and the offender’s lives forever.
Mr Cranston was out in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, in February last year when he was involved in a dispute outside the nightclub ‘Rush’
During the attack, Mr Cranston was repeatedly punched and kicked, suffering a number of serious injuries
‘Dennis will now spend a time behind bars and carry the responsibility of what he did with him probably for the rest of his life.
‘Response officers worked collaboratively with Mansfield District Council’s CCTV team to quickly locate Dennis and enabled him to be held account for his crime.
‘Ultimately, this is an incredibly sad case that has had a significant impact on two young men.’
Councillor Marion Bradshaw, portfolio holder for safer communities, housing and wellbeing at Mansfield District Council, added: ‘Our highly trained CCTV operators monitor around 160 cameras from our state-of-the-art control room 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to keep Mansfield safe.
‘They work very closely with the police and our own neighbourhood wardens to help reduce and prevent crime and disorder throughout the entire district.
‘We are pleased to have quickly located the offender in this tragic case and we wish the victim well in their continued recovery.’