A man has admitted carrying out an unprovoked pub assault, in which his victim suffered a fractured jaw as a result of one of a number of forceful blows to the face.

John Thomas Stones is now facing sentence next month after pleading guilty to unlawful wounding at a hearing at Durham Crown Court.

The 41-year-old defendant denied the more serious charge of unlawfully and maliciously causing grievous bodily harm with intent, but the prosecution accepted his admission to unlawful wounding.

Prosecuting counsel Samuel Sharp said the plea proved acceptable following negotiations between Crown and defence representatives.

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The injury is said to have been inflicted in an incident at the Railway Crossings pub, in Front Street West, Wingate, on Wednesday, July 7, last year.

Penny Hall, representing the defendant, told the court: “He has no previous convictions and is in work.

“It seems to have been a one-off event where nothing like this has ever happened before.”

Judge Jo Kidd agreed to adjourn sentence for four weeks to enable a full background report to be prepared on the defendant by the Probation Service.

But she told Miss Hall: “Mr Stones should understand that the fact I’m adjourning for a report shouldn’t be taken as any indication as to the likely sentence in this case.

“This was an entirely unprovoked attack in circumstances where he (the victim) was hit three times to the face in quick succession where there was sufficient force to cause that fracture to the jaw.”

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Miss Hall responded: “The defendant knows that the fact you are adjourning for a report doesn’t indicate what the sentence is likely to be.”

Judge Kidd told Miss Hall: “I imagine the sentencing judge in this case will want to consider the question of compensation for the complainant.”

Bailing Stones, to an address in Bruce Crescent, Wingate, pending preparation of the probation report, she told him: “You have entered a plea to a serious matter.

“The case will be adjourned for sentence and I want to see the pre-sentence report into the background of this offence against a background of a defendant having committed no previous offences.

“The fact I’m adjourning for sentence shouldn’t be taken as any indication as to the likely sentence you will get.”

The sentencing hearing was pencilled in for Tuesday, November 15 at the court.

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