A LABOURER who nearly blinded a Good Samaritan in a “callous and despicable” attack after he stopped his little brother being beaten up has been jailed for ten years.

Thomas Eastwood, 23, threw an unknown alkaline liquid at Basildon man Chijioke Ezebude, 45, on March 19 last year.

Mr Ezebude bravely stopped his car and gave chase when he saw Eastwood’s younger brother being attacked by youths at the junction of London Road and Clay Hill Road, Vange, near the Barge pub.

Moments later, Eastwood pulled up in a red flatbed truck and approached Mr Ezebude in the belief he was the attacker.

During a five day trial at Basildon Crown Court last month, a jury heard Eastwood screamed: “Who the Hell do you think you are?”

He then opened a water bottle containing the liquid and threw it in Mr Ezebude’s face.

The liquid went into his eyes, nose and mouth and left him writhing in agony on the floor. He was taken to Basildon Hospital but then rushed to Southend Hospital to see a specialist when police realised the seriousness of his injuries.

The self-employed railway worker lost his job as a result of the attack and will need treatment for the rest of his life because the damage means his eyes are constantly being infected.

Tim Sleigh-Johnson, prosecuting, read out a victim impact statement from Mr Ezebude, in which he said he still struggles to find work and was “almost destroyed” by the attack.

However, he also said Eastwood probably “didn’t know what his actions meant”.

He said: “I forgive the person that did this. I will never know them but I forgive them. If anything I feel pity for them.

“I pity them for the hate they must have had in their heart and just hope that they will learn to have peace in their heart as I have done.”

Detectives were unable to establish the exact contents of the bottle but Nick Bonehill, mitigating, said Eastwood now admits carrying out the attack using what he believes was white spirit or turps.

He said: “It was something carried in the vehicle not as a weapon. It had got on his skin in the past and not caused any significant damage.

“It was the very sensitive nature of the eyes that has caused the most damage. That explains Mr Eastwood’s shock at the significant damage caused to Mr Ezebude, who he wholeheartedly apologises to.”

Mr Bonehill said that Eastwood, who has no previous convictions, did not admit his crime because he was “scared”.

Following the attack, Eastwood, who gave his address as Langlands Drive, Dartford, in Kent, went to a family member’s house in Basildon and constructed a crude alibi by shaving off his ginger beard, cutting and possibly dying his hair, and visiting a nightclub with a friend.

He then claimed he had been clean-shaven since Christmas.

However, a jury saw through the ruse and found him guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Jailing Eastwood for ten years, Recorder Ann Mulligan said the attack had been “vicious and unprovoked” and his remorse was “late in the day”.

She said: “Someone rang you and told you your brother was being beaten up and you decided it was Mr Ezebude without asking a single question.

“You grabbed the bottle as a weapon because you saw the size of him.”

Adding that Eastwood’s behaviour was “callous” and “despicable” she said: “You attacked a man who had gone out of his way to help a young man who was involved in a group assault.”

Calling Mr Ezebude a “true Good Samaritan”, the judge awarded him £1,000 from central funds.

Speaking after the hearing, Det Chief Insp Neil Pudney said: "This was a malicious act which has led to an innocent man suffering serious injuries that he’ll have to live with for the rest of his life.

"The victim had acted as a good citizen, stepping in to break up a fight and preventing someone from getting injured.

"Thomas Eastwood responded with a callous act without care or consideration for the impact it would have.

"He will now have a significant time behind bars to contemplate the consequences of his actions and I am pleased a dangerous man is off the streets of Essex.

"I hope this sentence will show Essex Police will not tolerate violent crime and perpetrators will be caught and dealt with.

"I want to praise the investigating officer, PC Keith Corry, whose hard work, diligence and persistence led to Eastwood being identified and brought to justice.

"Most importantly I want to praise the victim for his courage through the investigation and hope this sentence brings some solace.”