A MAN has been sentenced to seven years in prison after attacking two strangers with a broken bottle last summer. 

Tomita Mototolea originally approached the man and woman sitting on a bench in Newland Street at 12:15am on Sunday May 26 2019.

The 40-year-old, of Old Heath Road in Colchester, asked for a cigarette.

When the man said they didn’t have any, Mototolea pulled a broken bottleneck from his back pocket and assaulted him, sticking him in the neck and head with the bottle numerous times.

In trying to pull Mototolea off of her friend, the woman also received a significant cut to her forearm.

The victims managed to detain their attacker with the help of a group of people until officers arrived.

When shown CCTV footage in his interview, the factory worker admitted to attacking the pair, and claimed he was “really drunk”.

He pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent, possession of an offensive weapon and assault causing actual bodily harm at Chelmsford Crown Court earlier this year.

He was sentenced at the same court on Wednesday April 8.

In addition to receiving seven years imprisonment for grievous bodily harm, he received concurrent sentences of 12 months and 18 months respectively for possession of an offensive weapon and the second assault.

In a statement read aloud to the court, the male victim admitted he had “been scared to go out” since the attack, and that he continued to have trouble sleeping and suffered from flashbacks of that night.

Detective Seargent Mick Carrington of Braintree CID said: “This was a horrific, unprovoked assault on two members of the public who were minding their own business after a night out.

"They have shown nothing but bravery throughout this awful ordeal, and I hope this result brings them some peace.

“I’m glad that Mototolea spared them the ordeal of a trial and has shown remorse for his actions.

"I hope that his sentence will provide the victims the space they need to start moving forward with their lives.”