A thug who left a young man fighting for his life after he bludgeoned him with a meat cleaver will be jailed after pleading guilty to grievous bodily harm.

Jack Smith, 23, of Glastonbury Road, Morden, made a last-minute guilty plea at Croydon Crown Court today.

Smith, along with his accomplice Barry Hughes, also of Morden, attacked Matthew Jeeves on the way home from a New Year's Eve party on January 1, 2008.

The victim was walking through Cheam when Smith and Hughes approached him demanding his mobile phone and money before Hughes punched him in he face, knocking him to the ground.

Smith hit him as many as five times with the cleaver.

The pair left their victim in a pool of blood, with his nose almost detached from his face he had been hit with such force.

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A computer generated image of the injuries Mr Jeeves was left with

They fled the scenes but left Smith's hat, which provided police with key DNA evidence to prosecute him.

Mr Jeeves was found by off duty police officer, now borough commander, Detective Chief Superintendent Guy Ferguson, walking his dog in the early hours of January and needed multiple operations to salvage his nose, and had more than 100 stitches to other wounds around his head.

He still has a scar going from above his right eye diagonally across his face to his chin.

Hughes was found guilty of the attack last year and his currently serving a 13 year prison sentence.

Smith also pleaded guilty to two counts of grevious bodily harm following to a knife attack in the Bounce bar in Sutton in February this year as well as three firearms offences.

DI John McQuade said it had been five years since the attack but police refused to give up in finding those responsible.

Speaking outside court, he said: "We never gave up on this case after seeing the state Matthew was left In. It's been a team effort and a long time coming but we got the right result."

Smith will be sentenced on October 25.