Mugger punches student so hard his teeth had to be removed from his lungs

A mugger punched a 23-year-old student so hard his teeth had to be removed from his lungs.

CCTV footage shows a hooded thug take a run up and punch his unsuspecting victim from behind in a "completely unprovoked assault".

The perpetrator then searched the victim's pockets and stole his phone, wallet and cash as he lay unconscious on the road in Marylebone, west London.

Met Police , who are hunting the attacker, say the victim's injuries included a fracture to the skull and a bleed on the brain.

A police statement said: "So horrendous was the assault, the victim's teeth were knocked loose and later had to be removed from his lungs."

He was taken to hospital and kept in an induced coma for weeks, police say.

The Spanish student had been walking home after celebrating the end of a successful internship with friends.

But he was approached from behind by a complete stranger and struck with a "devastating punch" at 5.20am on August 19 last year.

The suspect dragged the student behind a parked car and left him lying on the road.

He then entered a nearby hotel and casually tried to order a taxi to take him from the area.{{file|t=kgRdM_1555787640}}