A 34-year-old Lowton man launched an unprovoked vicious attack on a woman acquaintance in her own home leaving her seriously injured, a court has heard.

After a night drinking with the woman and a friend, bus driver Philip Makinson kept dozing off until finally about 5 am Jane Isherwood woke him up so he could go home.

"He opened his eyes, struck her in the face knocking her to the ground and kicked her in the head and stamped on her head," said Brendan Carville, prosecuting, at Liverpool Crown Court.

"She was screaming and pleaded with him to stop. He then fled the address and the police were alerted at 6.45 and she was taken to hospital.

"The victim was substantially bruised to her feet, arms, legs, back and head and swelling to her face and head. A CT scan showed bleeding from the brain and she was kept in hospital for 72 hours for observations."

In a victim impact statement a month after the December 28 attack, Miss Isherwood, an IT account manager, said she had been left traumatised.

On January 4 she had to be taken back to hospital by ambulance because of the bleed on the brain but has been told it should disperse in six weeks. But she still has vision problems and is waiting to see a specialist, said Mr Carville.

The day after the attack Makinson surrendered to police.

The court heard that Makinson, of Burley Avenue, Lowton, has no previous convictions but has a police caution in 2006 for assault. He pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Jailing him for two years Judge John Roberts said: "This was a dreadful attack by a man on a woman which involved the use of a weapon. The Court of Appeal has said that the use of a foot constitutes using a weapon.

"Only a custodial sentence can be justified where there has been such a vicious attack using a foot, kicking and stamping to the head as well as punching to the face, knocking her to the ground."

Judge Roberts added that he found Makinson's account that he had been hallucinating was "totally incredible."

Steven Swift, defending, said that it was a very unusual case. He had gone out with Mr Joyce drinking and playing darts and has very little recollection of events later that night.

"There is no logical reason why he acted in this way save for drink," said Mr Swift. "It was an inexplicable loss of control and he is deeply ashamed."