A THUG who thumped a peacemaker and smashed his cheekbone after the victim intervened in a New Year’s Day drunken row was jailed for eight months.

Burnley Crown Court heard how plasterer Joel Pattison, 21, landed Paul Sagar a heavy single blow, knocking him to the ground in the early hours trouble. Mr Sagar needed surgery on his injury.

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The defendant, an alcoholic like his late mother, has a record for violence and flouting court orders.

Pattison, care of Edward Street, Rishton, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm, on January 1.

Daniel King, defending, said Pattison’s mother died when he was 15 and that clearly had an effect on him.

He had behavioural problems at school, experimented with drugs for a number of years and had abused alcohol.

The defendant had been struck by a car on New Year’s Eve, was discharged from hospital and rejoined the revelries.

His girlfriend and his brother’s partner had an argument, Mr Sagar intervened and the defendant took exception and struck him.

The defendant accepted responsibility for the injury.

Mr King said: “He has taken steps to sort his alcohol abuse out. He has anger management issues, possibly related to his childhood and the death of his mother and is awaiting anger management treatment.

“The defendant is not proud of his history. He is genuinely committed to sorting himself out.”

Passing sentence, Judge Simon Newell said Pattison had a record not just for violence, not just for public disorder and the like, but also a record that showed a consistent inability to comply with non-custodial sentences.

He continued: “This was street violence, in drink, on a Bank Holiday. There was a serious injury to a man who was trying to calm the situation down. Previous non-custodial disposals haven’t worked.”