A man broke his innocent victim’s jaw with a single punch ‘for no apparent reason whatsoever’ outside a town centre bar, a court has heard.

Thomas Taylor, 27, lashed out at Kyle Tomlinson as he waited for a taxi on Bradshawgate, Bolton, in the early hours of September 19 last year.

Bolton Crown Court heard how Taylor, of Kent Road, Atherton, did not appear to have been provoked but his victim was left with lasting physical and psychological injuries.

A victim impact statement read by Kate Gaskell, prosecuting, said: “This assault on me was completely unprovoked.”

She added: “I’m normally an outgoing person but this has left me anxious to leave the house.”

Mr Tomlinson, who had been heading home after a date with his partner in Manchester, also reported feeling anxious around crowds after the attack.

He was left with a fractured jaw and needed to have surgery, having had a metal plate put in and needing to live off liquid foods for sometime afterwards.

Ms Gaskell explained that this marks the third time that Taylor, who has six previous convictions, has been brought before the court for drunkenly attacking another man on a night out.

He has previously been convicted of battery and public disorder offences.

After being arrested, Taylor first tried to claim that his victim had provoked him but came to admit his responsibility and pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm.

Patrick Buckley, defending, argued that Taylor was better dealt with by a community order rather than a prison sentence.

He claimed that references from his employer in "the most favourable terms" and that Taylor had been working to "mend his ways" having not been in trouble with the courts since the attack more than a year ago.

Mr Buckley said: “He has employed himself in that time to work hard and prove himself the better person.”

But Judge Tom Gilbart ruled that Taylor’s behaviour was serious enough to merit a prison sentence.

Addressing the defendant, he said: “There was no animosity, and for no apparent reasons whatsoever you punched your victim in the face.”

Judge Gilbart admitted that Taylor had suffered from a "disrupted education" and appeared to "lack robust thinking skills" but said that his actions were all the worse for having been committed after he was drinking.

He said he saw an “emerging pattern of using violence to resolve problems".

Judge Gilbart sentenced Taylor to nine months in prison.