Man's jaw broken in late-night violence

The assailant, 25-year-old Christopher Nixon, suddenly approached the man among an angry crowd, threw a punch which missed, but connected with a second punch.

Durham Crown Court heard that the victim was thrown against a wall, striking his head, before falling to the ground, in the incident in Seventh Street, Blackhall Colliery, east Durham, on June 17, last year.

Barry Robson, prosecuting, said Nixon fled, but was later arrested and admitted being present, telling police he merely pushed the other man.

He recently pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm, on the basis that it was a single blow and he used no weapons, despite others present being armed with golf clubs and a machete.

Mr Robson said four metal plates were inserted to treat the man's fracture, but he has made a good recovery.

The court heard that Nixon, of Burns Avenue, Blackhall Colliery, still has up to 18 months outstanding from the unserved part of a six-year sentence for assault and drugs offences, imposed at Teesside Crown Court, following a stabbing incident in Blackhall, in December 2001.

He risked having to serve part of that, in being sentenced for the most recent offence.

Lorraine Mustard, mitigating, said Nixon was not involved in the initial violence but, while walking home, was approached by a distraught friend whose house had come under a hail of objects thrown by others.

Miss Mustard said: "Amid heightened tensions, he tried to help someone he thought needed some sort of protection.

"There's no suggestion, however, that he landed more than a single blow."

She said there was no connection with Nixon's previous offence, since which he has kept out of trouble.

Recorder Andrew Lees imposed a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, with a three-month electronically-tagged home curfew, from 7pm to 7am.

Nixon must also perform 150 hours of unpaid work as part of 12-month probation supervision, and pay the victim £1,000 compensation