A former footballer battered a 21-year-old man in the face with a claw hammer after becoming furious when the victim did not recognise him, a court has heard.

The angry rising star, who had been amazed when the younger victim was not intimidated by him, said: "You have got no idea who I am. You have got no idea who you are messing with."

Dale Wheeler’s 24-hour cocaine and alcohol-fuelled binge climaxed in him striking two men on the head with the claw hammer, for which he was jailed for 11 years and four months today (Friday).

The 28-year-old, from Taplow, had hunted down his two victims, both aged 21 years, in an alleyway, having called for a friend to bring him the weapon following an argument which started in the toilets at The Generals Arms pub in Chesham in the early hours of December 21, a prosecutor said.

After behaving aggressively and spoiling for a fight, Wheeler became enraged when Luke Upton laughed off his threats, not realising the level of danger he posed, a judge was told.

Wheeler, who was on police bail, had made a phone call to a friend and been picked up in a white BMW car in which he cruised the streets, looking for the Mr Upton.

Prosecutor Jonathan Stone said: "Mr Upton and Sam Thomas were walking home together when they noticed the BMW pull up, the defendant got out of the passenger side of the car, the hammer in his right hand.

"He started towards Mr Upton saying 'what are you gonna do now?' He seemed to be challenging him, now the defendant was armed. He pointed the hammer towards Mr Upton when he was speaking to him.

"The group started to back away and Mr Thomas put himself between the defendant and Mr Upton to try to get the defendant to stop. Mr Wheeler seemingly got annoyed with Mr Thomas' attempts and without hesitation swung the hammer hard and struck him to the left side of his head. He fell, felt a rush of blood to the head and, using his words, thought he was going to die.

"Mr Upton said he knew he was going to be next. He told the defendant, 'you win, congratulations' and the inevitable blow came to the right side of the head, causing him to stumble and fall to the floor."

Wheeler had told another man at the scene that he would hunt him down if the police were informed, although the witness did call emergency services who went to the scene and rushed both victims to hospital, the court heard.

Mr Upton had suffered a laceration to his forehead and a fracture to his face and sinus, the prosecutor said. Mr Thomas had suffered complex fractures to his left cheek, for which he had to have three metallic plates inserted to stop his eye from sinking back. He also had a broken nose.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Upton had said: "I used to laugh when people became aggressive and started posturing, believing it was all for show. I was wrong. This has been a life changing experience and not for the better."

Meanwhile Wheeler, wearing the same clothes as on the night of the attacks, continued drinking and taking drugs throughout the following day and became involved in an affray with another man outside Winkers nightclub in Chalfont St Peter.

Detectives launched a witness appeal regarding attacks on Mr Thomas and Mr Upton, which started in the Generals Arms pub on the High Street in Chesham.

The manager of the pub told officers Wheeler had told him he was not going to be "mugged off", following a stand-off with Mr Upton in the pub toilets in which the victim had made a flippant remark after Wheeler squared up to him.

CCTV footage of Wheeler later storming up to Mr Upton and a group of his friends outside the Burger Inn nearby, was also played in court, which clearly showed Wheeler making a phone call on his mobile phone.

Wheeler later handed himself in at Maidenhead Police Station after he was named as the chief suspect in the incident and his picture was widely shared., the judge heard.

He was charged with two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and affray, but was also linked to an incident where he had punched a man in the face at a nightclub on October 5 at Smokey Joes in Maidenhead. When police had been called to the nightclub, Wheeler had assaulted both officers, punching one in the face and clawing at the other's ear.

When he appeared before Aylesbury Crown Court via video link today (Friday, May 1) the prosecutor said Wheeler had previously admitted the grievou8s bodily harm counts, affray, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, assault by beating of an emergency worker and assault by beating.

Wheeler, of Jubilee Lane, Taplow, had been convicted of 11 offences previously, including assaults on police, grievous bodily harm without intent and racially aggravated actual bodily harm, when he abused and headbutted a parking attendant.

Defending Wheeler, Emily Culverhouse said: "He saw red. In drink, he is a different man from the one that does not drink. He says he feels embarrassed about what happened and he is very, very sorry that it did happen.

"An injury to his left knee has led to the loss of expectation of his professional football career. It all adds towards his depression and mental health difficulties."

Judge Catherine Tulk, sentencing Wheeler, told him the attack he had inflicted fell into the higher category of harm and she read from a psychiatric report which had flagged him up as being a high-risk of harm.

The judge said: "You know that the depression and the anxiety that have been caused as a result of what you suffered in your childhood are made worse when you drink because all your previous convictions show that.

"When somebody knows that, that is the effect that alcohol and drugs have on them, they cannot use that as any sort of excuse for what they do when they drink and they have been taking drugs."

Judge Tulk sentenced Wheeler to eight years and four months imprisonment with a three year extended licence period, telling him he would not be able to apply to the parole board for early release until he had served two thirds of the custodial term and would not be automatically released, as is the case with a normal determinate sentence.