A MAN has been told to “prepare for prison” after he admitted a Carlisle punch attack which left his victim with a fractured skull.

Matthew Sanderson, 31, faced one charge when he appeared at the city’s crown court.

Sanderson admitted unlawfully and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm upon Harry Slater on December 10 last year.

The charge arises out of a night-time incident which occurred on a dance floor inside the Walkabout bar, off Botchergate in the city centre. This was captured on CCTV.

The court heard Sanderson “thought he was being stared at” by the stranger he punched, who was left with a fracture to the base of his skull.

“It is no defence, but he was extremely drunk at the time,” said Karen Tunnacliffe, defending Sanderson.

Judge James Adkin adjourned the case for the prosecution to seek a statement from the victim about the impact of the attack and medical prognosis.

An early indication, the court heard, was that the serious injury “will heal itself in time”, and that “surgery might be required”.

But prosecutor Gerard Rogerson conceded of that initial information: “It does not reflect the overall consequences of the assault on the complainant himself.”

Judge Adkin stressed that the court needed to have a full update and prognosis before sentence could be passed.

Sanderson, of Speckled Wood Drive, Carlisle, was granted bail. He is due back in court to learn his fate on Friday.

But Judge Adkin, who asked for a background report to be prepared on the defendant, told him: “Just because you are seeing the probation service, don’t think I have made my mind up about what the sentence will be.

“You are going to have to prepare yourself for prison, you know that.”