A BRIDPORT man who punched and kicked his victim so hard it fractured his skull has been spared jail.

Jordan Maggs, 29, had also breached a suspended sentence and had 11 previous convictions in ‘an appalling record of violence’.

He was given a two-year suspended sentence at Dorchester Crown Court after admitting inflicting grievous bodily harm on John Runyeard during an incident in Weymouth town Centre on April 20.

Prosecuting, Jane Rowley told the court that Maggs originally encountered the victim at the Dolce Vita bar as they were both on a night out with their respective friends.

The two groups later bumped into each other outside Tesco Metro on St Thomas Street at about 3am.

Ms Rowley told the court Maggs punched the victim in the face, forcing him to fall on the ground.

She showed the court CCTV footage of Maggs twice kicking Mr Runyeard in the face.

Mr Runyeard didn’t go to hospital until the morning after when he started vomiting blood.

He was assessed at Dorset County Hospital where it was found he had a fractured cheekbone, bruising and swelling to his right eye socket and a haemorrhage to his right eye, Ms Rowley told the court.

She added that he needed surgery to repair the fracture and in Mr Runyeard's victim statement that she read out to the court, he said still suffered from headaches, he has been out of work since August due to depression and anxiety, and he now has trust issues with people he doesn't know.

She also told the court Maggs had 11 previous convictions for violence, which included when he was sentenced for nine months in prison for attacking his dad in 2010 and when he was given an 18-week suspended prison sentence in May 2013 after pleading to two charges of battery following an incident in Bath in 2012.

Defending, Timothy Shorter told the court: “He was immediately remorseful, admitting to the police he had done it and it was very clear he was extremely remorseful.

“One of the facts of this case is he had realised, in his own way, that this was not how life was supposed to be, and changed his ways.

“He started a new job and began to see how much better life was, but realised on that night he had far, far too much to drink.

“He has cut down on his own drinking, he has made up with his father who confirm he has changed his ways.

“He has done his best to turn his life around, not to impress the courts but because he has recognised his life cannot go on from drunken incident to drunken incident.”

Maggs was given a two year sentence suspended for two years, ordered to conduct 200 hours of unpaid work, and pay compensation of £1,500.

HANDING down the sentence, presiding judge Recorder Robert Linford told Maggs he had an “absolutely appalling” record of previous convictions but he was not sending him to jail so he continue with the good progress he had made since the incident.

He also said he would not activate the previous suspended sentence because he felt it was “unfair” to do so as there was only five days left.

Recorder Linford said: “I have been involved in many cases in which kicks like that can kill someone and can end up with murder convictions.

“It's remarkable that he did not suffer anything more serious, you made your way from him and he astonishingly got up to his feet and ambled off.

“But, he is still suffering from the violence you inflicted to this day. You have an absolutely appalling record of violence for a man of 30 years, with 11 previous convictions for violent offence.

“The reason I am suspending your sentence is for the first time ever, you have got a good job. A lot of people have said some astonishingly good things about you.

“Now you have got a job and settled down, you have ceased being the parasite on society that you have been for all of these years.”