A DRUNK reveller smashed through a glass table at a house party before getting up and punching a neighbour in the face as she tried to give him first aid, a court heard.

Aaron Ryan Anderson, 19, of The Bye, Consett, broke his victim's jaw in two places and knocked two of her teeth out.

He admitted causing grievous bodily harm when he appeared before magistrates in Newton Aycliffe.

Mahmood Awan, prosecuting, said: "The defendant was at the house party, punching walls and threatening to smash the house up.

"The neighbour asked him to calm down.

"The defendant continued to act in an aggressive manner, approached a male and threatened him. The male has attempted to calm him down. The defendant threw a punch at the male but it fell short. The male retaliated and the defendant went back on to a glass dining table.

"The victim became worried when he was unresponsive. She had first aid training so went to assist.

"He jumped up, punched her, and she felt a severe pain to her face."

He said the victim had had to have two teeth removed and had surgery to have plates inserted on both sides of her broken jaw.

Since the incident, she was having difficulty sleeping at night and had to eat soft food like soup and mashed potato.

She also has to have hospital check ups every two weeks.

In a victim impact statement, she described how the defendant got up from the floor with his eyes wide open. He was looking straight at her and he punched straight at her, she said.

Dave Malone, mitigating on behalf of Anderson, said: "This has been hanging over the defendant and his family for a 12-month period.

"He was initially assaulted. I don't want to go into too much detail but as far as he was concerned he had an argument with a friend. The friend punched him and he ended up unconscious having fallen through a glass table.

"When he came round someone was trying to offer him assistance. He was not aware at this stage but has lashed out and has caused this injury to her."

He said Anderson went to hospital for a check-up after the incident, saw his victim there and immediately went to apologise to her.

"It was a single punch. Obviously the injuries were serious, but there was no premeditation," said Mr Malone.

A pre-sentence report from probation staff told how Anderson had drunk heavily and taken cocaine on the night of the house party.

Magistrates committed the case to Durham Crown Court for sentence on November 8.