A man was left with mutliple serious facial injuries that 'left him looking like the elephant man' after being punched in a town centre pub.

Ryan O'Connor, 29, of Bartle Green, Burnley, was arrested after he punched victim Thomas Henderson after an argument broke out at the Bees Knees in Hargreaves Street, Burnley, last year.

The pair had never met before the incident on October 6, 2022, but had got talking about their children in lighthearted conversation, prosecutor Peter Barr told Burnley Crown Court.

They then exchanged jackets, as O'Connor wanted to 'try' Mr Henderson's on, and joked 'it's mine now' and walked away laughing.

After O'Connor finally gave Mr Henderson the jacket back, the victim mistakenly believed O'Connor had stolen his wallet and taken £100 cash he had won on a pub's fruit machine earlier that night.

After Mr Henderson asked if O'Connor had his wallet, O'Connor proceeded to hit Mr Henderson with a single punch to the left hand side of the face, causing 'dramatic and devastating injuries'.

The victim, Thomas Henderson, said in a statement: "What started as an evening of fun ended horribly.

"Recovery has been slow and excruciatingly painful. I looked like the elephant man, my cheek and mouth is still numb.

"I have stopped going out alone at night as this incident has scarred me. I do not feel like the person I used to be and I have changed the way I look at life.

"His attack on me was brutal and I do not believe he deserves to share the same space as I do."

The victim sustained multiple serious injuries, including two fractured eye sockets, fractured sinus bones, a fracture in his left cheek and his jaw was fractured in two places.

Doctors said if the punch was two milimetres closer to his skull, he would have suffered from brain injury also.

Since the incident, O'Connor claims he has stopped drinking entirely, and is focusing on controling his anger management issues for his wife and one year old daughter, Mark Stuart told the court in mitigation.

In sentencing, Recorder Philip Grundy said: "I commend you for stopping drinking, but you and I know that these are serious matters.

"You saw red and got cross. Therefore I am going to pass a sentence that reflects the seriousness of your offence. 

"If you had not pleaded guilty for this offence, my starting point would have been 15 months in immediate prison. This court hopes that you never appear before us again." 

O'Connor pleaded guilty to wounding without intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and recieved a 10 month sentence, suspended for two years, and was ordered to pay the victim £5,000 in compensation.