AN “OUT-OF-CONTROL” drunk who used a pair of scissors to attack two teenage students has been locked up indefinitely.

Kenneth Gardiner used the nail scissors as a knuckle-duster to attack 19-year-old Matthew Dearden – puncturing his head.

The student had stepped in to help his friend Mark Arrowsmith, also 19, after Gardiner targeted the teenager.

The two Wirral students were on a train with a large group of friends going to a party in Liverpool city centre from West Kirby on October 20, 2007, when Gardiner boarded at Leasowe station. The 32-year-old was with his sister and her three young daughters – one of whom was in a pushchair.

Geoffrey Fryar, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court the group of students became aware of Gardiner when he began to behave strangely – headbutting one of the windows.

He then approached them “without any provocation”, demanding alcohol and sitting on one of them.

The father-of-two then targeted Mr Arrowsmith, demanding his bottle of beer.

When Mr Arrowsmith refused, he grabbed the bottle before “launching a tirade of punches” at his head.

A witness described hearing “sickening thuds” as the blows landed and being “shocked by the ferocity and violence of the attack”.

When Mr Dearden tried to intervene, Gardiner turned on him.

Judge Brian Lewis said: “At that stage, it became apparent you were armed with a pair of small scissors and from the evidence it seems you used them almost like knuckle-duster, with the tip of the blade emerging from the fingers of your fist and in that way you inflicted injuries to Mr Dearden in a quite horrific way, punching him to the top of the head.” Mr Dearden suffered five puncture wounds to the top of his head and required hospital treatment.

Yesterday Judge Lewis jailed Gardiner indefinitely for public protection after hearing he had a long record of violence and threats of violence.

He ordered Gardiner, of Hillburn Drive, Birkenhead, to serve a minimum of two years before being considered for parole, saying: “This was unprovoked, irrational and persistent violence.”

Judge Lewis added: “You were completely out of control.”

John Weate, defending, told the court Gardiner had no recollection of the incident.