A HUDDERSFIELD man is going to jail for stamping on another man’s head in a vicious attack.

Paul Thornton, 42, was yesterday found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm and witness intimidation after a five-day hearing at Leeds Crown Court.

It took the jury just 40 minutes to find Thornton, of Gisbourne Road, Bradley guilty of the two charges.

Thornton, who now works for a Formula One racing team, stared ahead as the foreman of the jury delivered the guilty verdicts.

But family and friends in the public gallery wept as Judge James Stewart told Thornton he would go to jail.

The jury heard how Thornton had been at the Christmas party of West Yorkshire Windows on December 23, 2005.

After a lunch Thornton, victim Terry Mack and other colleagues went to the Black Swan pub in Dewsbury.

After a disturbance inside the pub the men went outside, where Thornton punched Mr Mack to the ground before stamping on his head.

The vicious assault left Mr Mack with severe head injuries, including fractures to his eye socket, cheekbone and jaw which required surgery.

Thornton – described by prosecutor Nigel Wray as a coward – then set about intimidating witness Mark Weathers in the hope he would not give evidence against him.

Thornton told Alan Sedgwick, a colleague and his former brother-in-law, he had paid some ‘nasty’ people £500 to make sure Mr Weathers did not go to the trial, which was aborted while police investigated.

The court heard from Mr Sedgwick, who was treated as a hostile witness after disputing the claims he gave in his police statement.

The statement confirmed a conversation between Thornton and Mr Sedgwick about the threats.

Thornton said: “If they do attend court I’ve paid some nasty people some cash so they’ll wish they hadn’t.”

He then asked Mr Sedgwick to ‘pass the message on’ to Mr Weathers. The threat got back to Mr Weathers, who told the court he no longer felt safe in his own home.

Earlier in 2005 Thornton had pleaded guilty to battery and common assault at Huddersfield Magistrates’ Court. He was sentenced to a community rehabilitation order and made to pay compensation and costs.

Yesterday Judge Stewart told Thornton: “You have been convicted of grievous bodily harm with intent by stamping on Mr Mack’s head and of witness intimidation.

“You must understand that you are going to be sent to prison.”

Martin Robertshaw, for Thornton, asked for bail for him and for pre-sentence reports, which were agreed.

Sentencing was adjourned for three weeks for reports.