A MAN who left a neighbour with life-changing injuries in a one-punch attack has walked free from court.

Burnley Crown Court heard how victim Shahed Mahmood was left unconscious on the pavement after falling awkwardly following the blow administered by Mohammed Shazad Akram in Blackburn Road, Accrington, at around 5.30pm on on March 6, last year.

Prosecuting, Alison Mather told the court how Mr Mahmood’s sister Rosie Akhtar, a trained acute medical nurse who now works as a specialist Macmillan nurse, returned from work to find her brother motionless on the pavement in a pool of blood and had to administer CPR.

And Judge Sara Dodd said it was only because of Ms Akhtar's decisive actions that Akram was not facing a more serious charge than the GBH he had pleaded guilty to.

Ms Mather said Mr Mahmood, 49, now suffers from fatigue, meaning he has to go to bed for three hours at 11am and can only do 90 minutes of work per day. He always suffers from four headaches per day, struggles concentrating, is not allowed to drive and is still on anti-epilepsy medication.

Mr Mahmood has no recollection of the build-up to the attack or how and why it happened but Akram, 27, of Union Road, Oswaldtwistle, said he landed a single blow after the complainant made an upsetting and hurtful comment about his deceased brother.

Judge Dodd sentenced Akram to 15 months imprisonment, but suspended it for two years. He was also made subject to an eight-month curfew, told to complete 240 hours unpaid work and pay his victim £2,500 compensation.

Judge Dodd said: "In your references you are described as humble and patient. Sadly they were not qualities displayed on this day 15 months ago."