Warning: Story contains details that may be disturbing to some readers

A 26-year-old man has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for his role in the brutal beating of a homeless man in North Sydney, N.S. last summer.

Kyle Nichol is one of six people charged in connection with the attack on 48-year-old Shawn Curtis Jack behind the Atlantic Superstore on King Street on July 14.

Jack sustained serious head injuries and was airlifted to a Halifax hospital, where he is still recovering.

At the time of the incident, police said Jack was originally from the Truro area and often camped behind the store during the summer months with his dog, Chico.

Nichol pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and wearing a disguise in connection with the incident.

During Nichol’s sentencing hearing on Thursday, the Crown described the attack as a “home invasion on a homeless man” and “gratuitous violence” that changed Jack’s life, both physically and intellectually.

The court heard that Nichol struck Jack with a machinist hammer several times, shattering his skull and breaking the hammer in two.

Crown attorney Glenn Gouthro applauded the sentence.

“Judge Ross described it best when he said it was difficult to comprehend how somebody could treat somebody in such an animalistic way. The sentence is a fair sentence, and it’s a stiff sentence,” Gouthro said.

“This type of crime really shocks the community. So a message has to be sent that a stiff penalty is deserved."

As for a motive, the Crown said Nichol and his girlfriend had been involved in an attack on a woman and that Jack had witnessed the incident and spoke out against them.

Jack’s father, Frank Jack, submitted a victim impact statement, although he did not attend the sentencing hearing. According to the statement, Jack is still in hospital and will likely have to live in an assisted-care home for people with brain injuries.

Frank Jack said that his son is regaining some stability in his legs and has been fitted with a brace that allows him to stand and walk a few steps at a time, but that he won’t be able to live on his own.

He also said he believes his son knows he was attacked, but likely doesn’t understand why.

Julia Hawkins, who organized a fundraising campaign to help Jack, said the senselessness of the attack is saddening.

“It’s pretty disappointing, because it shouldn’t have happened in the first place,” she said.

As Jack continues to recover and the prosecution of the alleged attackers proceeds, Hawkins said the community is watching.

“It’s been nearly a year, and people are still asking me how he’s doing. People are still interested, people still care,” she said.

The maximum sentence for aggravated assault is 14 years. The judge accepted a joint recommendation from the Crown and defence, sentencing Nichol to 11 years in prison.

He will not get credit for time already served.

Nichol is the third person to be sentenced in the connection with this attack, and there are three other individuals currently before the courts.

Among them is Cory Blinkhorn, who is expected to be tried on a charge of attempted murder — a charge initially laid against Nichol but dropped when he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and wearing a disguise.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Ryan MacDonald