Terry Thomas randomly attacked terrified people who happened to be walking past him after he staggered drunk out of a pub.

One victim was a 42-year-old woman with poor eyesight who was left bleeding and unconscious on the pavement after he punched her on the back of the head.

While the concussed woman lay prone in the street, stunned passers-by rushed to her help as Thomas continued his spree, unleashing his next blow on a 55-year-old man on crutches who also fell to the ground.

A further three men were assaulted on Thomas’s route towards Reading Minster in St Mary’s Butts including a 48-year-old baggage handler who received injuries to his face and finger, leading to problems with his work.

Jane Davies, prosecuting at Reading Crown Court last Friday, said the chain of events started when Thomas, 28, was asked to leave the Hope Tap pub in Friar Street at 5pm on February 25 after drinking eight pints.

As a parting shot before he left, he threw the glass of his ninth pint at staff behind the bar.

Ms Davies said: “The defendant then left the pub and he walked along the road, down West Street, towards Gun Street, passing through St Mary’s Church engaging in an unprovoked series of assaults.”

The first person to be hit was a 28-year-old Nepalese man who managed to stay on his feet after taking a punch to the head shortly before the 42-year-old woman was knocked to the ground after he hit her on the face.

Ms Davies said: “She is very short-sighted and was carrying her shopping.

“She did not see the assault coming and she fell to the floor, receiving a cut to her right eye and a cut to the back of her head from where she fell.”

She added that the total number of victims was still unknown but after Thomas pushed a Big Issue seller in the St Mary’s Butts church graveyard, a police officer was finally able to put an end to the violent spree by arresting him.

Richard Paton-Philip, defending, said Thomas had no recollection of the attacks or why he did it.

He said: “He wishes to express his apologies to all victims involved in this extended assault of violence. He is baffled as to why he assaulted strangers in the way that he did.”

Judge Grainger said: “All of these people were totally innocent passers-by in a very public display of very violent anger.

“In my judgement you presently pose a high level of danger. People are entitled to the use of our town centre without having to witness, let alone suffer, this kind of mindless violence.”

Thomas, of South Street, Reading, admitted one count of affray, one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and five counts of assault by beating.

He was sentenced to a total of three years’ imprisonment with Judge Grainger ordering he serve two extra years on licence following his release from prison. A victim surcharge of £120 was ordered to be paid directly to the woman who suffered the injuries to her face.