A DRINKER who smashed the jaw of another man during a bust-up in a beer garden has been told to pay his victim £2,000.

Gary Bragg dodged prison for the late-night attack in Darlington town centre in April - because of his two children.

The 34-year-old was given a suspended jail sentence, with supervision, unpaid work, compensation and a night-time curfew.

The judge, Recorder Mark McKone, told him: "When I read these papers this morning, I took the view that you had to go away.

"It really beggars belief that as the sole carer for two 11-year-old boys, you behaved so irresponsibly."

Bragg, of Cobden Street, Darlington, admitted a charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm at an earlier court hearing.

He returned to Teesside Crown Court to be sentenced yesterday, and his lawyer said he had never been out since the attack.

"He has decided that at his time of life, drinking in the town centre of Darlington or elsewhere is not for him," said Ben Pegman.

"He is extremely remorseful for what he has done... he bears the other man no ill-will."

The court heard how trouble flared in the outside drinking area of Harvey's at about 12.30am on April 21 this year.

The victim was talking with friends when he "suddenly felt a massive blow to the left side of his face", said prosecutor Paul Lee.

Door staff ejected Bragg from the front and escorted the victim out of the back - but the men met again outside, said Mr Lee.

The injured man asked his attacker "who do you think you are?" and he was punched again and knocked to the ground.

The following day, he woke to find his jaw "extremely swollen" and his front teeth loose, so he went to a dentist who found a fracture on an X-ray.

He was in hospital for four days, the court was told.

Bragg, who has 49 offences on his record, including actual bodily harm and assault, was shown CCTV footage of the attack.

Mr Pegman said the self-employed scrap man plans to extend his business to recycling other materials.

The judge imposed a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, 150 hours' unpaid work and a six-month curfew from 9pm to 5am.

He told Bragg: "This should help you to be a proper father to your children, as no doubt you are when you are with them, but you would be of no use to them if you were in prison."