MILLENNIUM eve violence led to a reveller suffering a smashed jaw, and his attacker is now behind bars for 21 months.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Dean Taylor, 23, punched victim Ashley Banham in the face in his father's pub in a dispute over a party hat.

A judge told him his behaviour had been quite inexcusable, no matter how much he had had to drink.

Recorder Andrew Lowcock added the defendant had not used a weapon, but he had a bad record and community sentences had not had any real effect on him.

He said Taylor had had problems with drugs in the past, wanted to be free of them and, said the judge, he hoped he would keep that resolve.

Taylor, of Booth Street, Accrington, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm. The sentence will run concurrently to another one he is serving.

John Bailey, prosecuting, said the offence took place during an evening of "jollifications," on New Year's Eve, at the Flowers public house, Bacup.

Differences over ownership of a party hat broke out and the defendant pushed Mr Banham's head down and punched him hard in the jaw.

The victim suffered a broken jaw and when the defendant was interviewed by police, he seeemed to think he was the less guilty party of the two. Mr Bailey added Taylor had previous convictions for violence.

Anthony Cross, defending, said the millenium eve revelries were in full swing when an argument broke out over ownership of a particular party hat.

Everybody had been drinking, was loud and in various stages of drunkenness.

Taylor misjudged the situation dramatically, swung one punch and one punch only, but it had serious consequences. Mr Cross said many outbreaks of pub violence involved the use of a bottle and the use of further violence once the victim had been floored. That was not the case as Taylor hit out only once in a "momentary" outburst of violence.

The barrister urged the court to give the defendant credit for his guilty plea, said he had made admissions to the police and showed genuine remorse for his actions.

Mr Cross added Taylor had few offences of violence on his record and urged the court to pass a sentence as short as was consistent with its public duty.