Man jailed for Darwen nightclub attack which left a Walton-le-Dale man with bleeding on the brain

A man who left a South Ribble club goer with life changing in an unprovoked attack in Darwen has been jailed for three years and eight months.

Tony Parsons, 29, of Fore Street, Darwen, was found guilty of Section 20 wounding and sentenced following a trial at Preston Crown Court.

The victim, Ben Penningtonplaceholder image
The victim, Ben Pennington

Emergency services were called to Level One nightclub, Market Street, Darwen, at 3.10am on October 15, 2016, to reports a man was unconscious on the floor.

A 29-year-old man, Ben Pennington from Walton-le-Dale, had been attacked inside the club and suffered a serious head injury.

Tony Parsons, 29, of Fore Street, Darwen (Photo: Lancashire Police)placeholder image
Tony Parsons, 29, of Fore Street, Darwen (Photo: Lancashire Police)

He was taken to Royal Preston Hospital suffering a bleed on the brain.

To this day he still requires regular care as a result of the attack.

Det Con Alison Tipping, of Lancashire Constabulary’s Public Protection Unit, said: “As a result of this attack – which was completely unprovoked – a man’s life has been changed forever.

“He spent weeks on critical care and had to have surgery to his skull.

The scars to Ben's head following surgeryplaceholder image
The scars to Ben's head following surgery

“He is fortunately making a good recovery – better than was expected by medical staff, but he continues to have ongoing issues.

“Throughout this time, Parsons has shown no remorse and has sought only to protect himself.

“Our thoughts remain with the victim and his family and I hope today’s sentence brings them some sense of justice after such a horrific attack.”

News you can trust since 1886
Follow us
© 2026 Iconic Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice