Richard Mellor had punched victim Stefan Hargreaves in some sort of revenge after an earlier alteraction in the Union Exchange pub.

Mr Hargreaves suffered an undisplaced fracture to his jaw and although he did not need surgery, was left shaken and traumatised and could not eat properly for some time.

Mellor was given a 52-week jail term, suspended for two years, with 200 hours unpaid work. The defendant (28), of Keighley Avenue, Colne, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent.

Recorder Maurice Greene told him the offence seemed pretty much out of character as he had not been in significant trouble for 10 years and had no record for violence. The judge said Mellor had managed to break the cycle of getting into trouble as a teenager when he was 18 and since then had not offended. He went on: "It seems to me you are making efforts to keep away from the courts."

Mr David Temkin (prosecuting) told the court after the assault Mr Hargreaves was upset and nervous about going out at night. On the same evening, Mellor approached a witness in Zebras nightclub and asked: "Is it your brother I smacked?"

He then said: "It's his own fault. He shouldn't have been cocky to me." The defendant was arrested and made no comment.

The day after, Mellor approached the defendant's brother Barry Hargreaves in Zebras and said: "I have got a three-year-old kid. I will go down for 12 to 18 months for this. Tell your brother I am sorry for hitting him."

Mr Temkin said the victim later picked out Mellor in an identity parade. He was questioned and claimed self defence, alleging the victim and others were going to assault him and he had landed a pre-emptive strike. When he was charged, he said it was self-defence and an accident.

Miss Judith McCullough (defending) said Mellor was genuinely sorry for what he had done. He and his partner were on benefits.