A 'happy go lucky guy' who used a pole to strike another in an argument over a jumper has been jailed.

Daniel Whipp’s lawyer had attempted to persuade Judge Maria Lamb to keep the 34-year-old out of prison.

But after retiring to consider her sentence, the Oxford judge sent him down for three-and-a-half years.

Jurors had earlier found Whipp, of Giles Road, Littlemore, guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

He used a metal pole, which he kept by his bed, to strike his victim twice over the head on New Year’s Eve 2018. He was under the influence of alcohol.

The victim, who was said to have argued with the Oxford man about a jumper, was left with a scar and claimed he’d been unable to go on work trips to Germany and Canada as a result of waiting for the trial.

Prosecutor Jane Davies told Judge Lamb that the defendant was subject to a suspended sentence when he committed the assault.

Turning to Whipp’s previous convictions, Ms Davies said: “Whilst there are none for significant violence he does have drink-related offences and, clearly, drink and the consumption of alcohol played a part here.”

Mitigating, Michael Goold said his client had acted in excessive self-defence and had initially picked up the pole in order to scare the other man away.

The pair were said to have ‘come together’ before the victim ended up on top of the defendant. After striking the other man with the pole, Whipp barricaded himself in his bedroom.

He suffered from anxiety having previously been attacked himself, Mr Goold said.

The barrister accepted Whipp had been on a suspended sentence at the time of the attack and had previously completed court-ordered courses aimed at stopping his abuse of alcohol.

But he asked the judge to take an exceptional course and suspend any term of imprisonment. Whipp was now teetotal and continued to financially support his and a former partner’s children.

It was two-and-a-half years since the offence, he was working in the construction industry and was highly thought of by his boss. A family friend described the defendant as a ‘happy go lucky guy’.

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