Bolton man sentenced for punching and racially abusing the wrong man

A man from Bolton has been given a suspended prison sentence after punching and racially abusing a stranger in the street.

Shortly after 10am on 30 July 2020, Andrew Ashton, 33, approached the man on Chorley Old Road in Bolton before punching him in the face and racially abusing him.

When the man asked Ashton why he had assaulted him, he told him it was because of the road rage incident the previous week. The man had never seen Ashton before. 

When Ashton realised he had got the wrong man he made a racist comment before running away, leaving his bike behind. 

The man received a broken jaw during the attack and required surgery.

Ashton pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and was sentenced on Friday 17 March to 15 months’ imprisonment, including a three-month uplift due to the racial element of the offence, suspended for two years.

During those two years, he must carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and complete 60 days of rehabilitation. The court also imposed a five-year restraining order. 

Richard Holliday, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, said: “Andrew Ashton carried out a shocking attack on a stranger, resulting in a broken jaw.

“The man, who was innocently going about his business, was not only assaulted but also racially abused when Ashton realised he had the wrong man.

“Everyone has the right to go about their daily lives without fear of violence or hate.”