A FOOTBALL fan has been ordered to carry out unpaid work after breaking a man’s jaw in an unprovoked attack in a town centre nightclub.

Daniel Ward, from Sankey Bridges, punched his victim in the face after spotting him speaking to his ex-girlfriend in Block 1.

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Tuesday, March 19, that the 29-year-old spent the day of Saturday, July 7, drinking with friends after watching England’s 2-0 World Cup quarter final win over Sweden.

At around 11pm that night, he and the complainant were in the Bold Street nightclub when the latter was introduced to Ward’s former partner by his sister - with the couple having split up a month previously.

Ward, of Pickmere Street, walked across the bar area and punched the man in the face, leaving him unconscious and breaking his jaw.

The defendant was detained by door staff and arrested by police, but later de-arrested as the victim did not want to make a complaint over the incident.

Both men - who did not know each other - went home, with Ward being given a dispersal order to leave the town centre by officers.

On the following day, the defendant contacted his victim apologising and explaining that he had ‘been through a bad break-up’.

The same day, the latter visited hospital - where he was told he had broken his jaw - and reported the attack to police around a week later.

Ward, who has no previous convictions and was wearing a grey suit in court, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm during an earlier hearing last month.

Recorder Sophie Drake ordered him to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and handed him a six-month curfew.

He will also be required to pay £250 in compensation to the victim and £250 of court costs.

Sentencing, recorder Drake said: “I’ve seen CCTV footage showing the incident and it’s obvious that your victim was offering no threat whatsoever, but you went up to him and punched him - breaking his jaw.

“The consequences of even one punch can be a lot more serious than that - a person can be punched and never get up, but luckily that didn’t happen.

“This was truly out of character in your case, and it’s clear that you are deeply remorseful for what you did.

“I’m satisfied that there will be no repetition of it, but you did cause significant harm to your victim.

“It’s clear that he has suffered physical and mentally for what happened.

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“This was also aggravated by the fact that you were drunk, but this case can be dealt with by a community order.

“I don’t think you will breach this order, but if you do you will be brought back to court and it’s inevitable that you will receive a custodial sentence.”