Man jailed for attack on Russian student

A Sydney man who punched a Russian student unconscious after he refused him a cigarette has been jailed for at least four-and-a-half years.

Alexander Tsvetkov suffered severe brain haemorrhaging after being struck in the mouth by Albert William Bolamatu on a night out in Sydney's north shore in June last year.

"It looked to the security guard that the victim was knocked unconscious as soon as he was hit," Acting Judge Anthony Garling said, describing the attack as completely unprovoked.

Mr Tsvetkov's head was heard to "crack down on the footpath with a loud thud".

But even though Mr Tsvetkov lay unconscious, with his arms spread out, the court heard Bolamatu continued to try to attack the student.

Screaming "this is what happens", Bolamatu went to kick him again before Mr Tsvetkov's friend Craig Norton and the security intervened, Judge Garling said.

As Mr Norton lay on top of his unconscious friend to protect him, Bolamatu reined down kicks and punches on him.

"Do you want to get killed tonight?" Bolamatu asked Mr Norton.

Eventually Bolamatu, who was on parole at the time of the attack, fled the scene at St Leonards in a taxi.

Mr Tsvetkov, meanwhile, was taken to hospital where he was placed in an induced coma.

While he has recovered since, Mr Tsvetkov still suffers from recurring headaches and it's unclear if he will be able to return to his studies.

In sentencing the 35-year-old at Sydney's District Court on Monday, Judge Garling said the offence was "extremely serious".

"The offender had been drinking, however, there appears to be no apparent reason for this attack other than he asked for cigarettes and was denied them."

While he accepted that Bolamatu had a history of drug and alcohol addiction and recently been diagnosed with schizophrenia, Judge Garling said there was no evidence the 35-year-old was hearing voices at the time.

Judge Garling said Bolamatu had an extensive criminal history and had been "given chances in the past".

"He hasn't taken them," he said.

He sentenced him to a maximum of six years and will be eligible for parole in June 2018.