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Terrifying moment a convicted Polish rapist - who had been in Britain for just TWO DAYS - battered senseless a 52-year-old stranger before dragging him into road to be run over by a bus

Damien Pankiewicz approached victim at random at a bus stop in London
He began repeatedly punching him until he was unconscious on ground
Pankiewicz then dragged him into the road in front of an oncoming bus
Today he was sentenced to 12 years in prison for carrying out the attack

Published: 17:10 GMT, 18 May 2016 | Updated: 01:25 GMT, 19 May 2016

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Damien Pankiewicz who has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for the attack on a stranger

This is the terrifying moment a convicted rapist from Poland who had only been in the UK for two days battered a man he never met then threw him in front of an oncoming bus.

Damien Pankiewicz, 37, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 12 years in jail at Inner London Crown Court today after being convicted of grievous bodily harm.

He will be deported after serving his prison sentence after the court was also told he had convictions for rape and assault in Poland.

The jury heard how Pankiewicz had approached his victim, who had learning difficulties, at a bus stop in Brixton Hill, south London around 7pm on July 22 last year and assaulted him for no reason by repeatedly punching him.

He continued to punch the victim, even after he had fallen unconscious to the ground.

Pankiewicz then grabbed the unconscious man by the neck and dragged him into the road and left him in front of an oncoming bus, which managed to stop just in time.

The victim was hospitalised for three weeks with serious injuries. He suffered bleeding on the brain, a broken leg and broken ribs as a result of the attack.

When arrested Pankiewicz headbutted the window of a police car, smashing the window with his face and causing himself minor facial injuries.

CCTV footage of the attack showed the victim unconscious on the ground and Pankiewicz dragging him into the road

As he dragged the man into the road, he left him in the path of an oncoming bus, which luckily stopped at the last minute

He then denied the offence, bizarrely claiming in court that the victim had stolen his phone.

CCTV evidence and property recovered from the victim disproved this claim and Pankiewicz was convicted unanimously by the jury at the Inner London Crown Court on 16 March.

Detective Constable James Bateman from Lambeth Police's CID said: 'This was an unprovoked and violent attack against a vulnerable man in which the victim received serious injuries.

The victim was hospitalised for three weeks with serious injuries. He suffered bleeding on the brain, a broken leg and broken ribs as a result of the attack

'Pankiewicz initially gave no explanation for the assault, before claiming in court that the victim had stolen his phone, a claim we were able to disprove.

'He has shown no remorse for his actions at any stage. The level of violence, its sustained nature and the impact on the victim has been immense and has deeply affected him.

'This sentence will hopefully help the victim to get some form of closure to an event in his life which has been so traumatic.'