A FORMER mayor of Trowbridge who suffered a bleed on the brain from a vicious assault says that ‘justice has been done’ after his attacker was jailed for 10 years.

Trowbridge town councillor Clive Blackmore feared for his life after being kicked repeatedly in the head by three men last June when he was walking his black Labrador, Dave, in Pitman Avenue before he started his 4am postman shift.

On Tuesday however, the 63-year-old appeared at Bristol Crown Court to see one of the perpetrators, Joshua David List, sentenced to seven years in prison for committing grievous bodily harm with intent and an extended three years for being a dangerous offender.

“I can sort of close a chapter on a difficult time in my life - justice has been done,” said Cllr Blackmore, who was town mayor back in 2010-11.

“That man showed no respect to me at all. I hope he learns from this because he cannot live his life like that. He had a list of offences as long as my arm.

“I had a bleed on the brain, the vision in my right eye has still not recovered and I had a haematoma on the left side of the skull.

“The whole thing was very frightening. I was just walking along the road with my dog Dave and one of them didn’t like the fact he was barking.

“Not long after they approached me, telling me to shut the dog up, I was pushed to the ground and at least two of them began kicking my head in.”

At the trial, the 20-year-old List, of no fixed, pleaded guilty to the sentence.

He will have to serve at least five years before being considered for parole.

“Experiences like these do leave you looking over your shoulder when you do the postman shift,” he said.

“My eye closed up, I looked unrecognisable. It could have been so much worse though. I was off work for a few weeks but I managed to get back into it not long after.

“This case is a bit bitter sweet for me. Yes it is good that one person got caught, because forensics managed to get to the bottom of it all but two others who were involved have got off scot-free.”

Following the attack, well wishers from Southview Park raised more than £200 and donated a variety of gifts to lend their support to their beloved postman.

“That was such a touching thing that they did for me. It was a very hard time so this greatly lifted my spirits,” he said.

“I donated more than £1,000 to charity last year so to get this back from the community was truly amazing.”