Bouncer broke reveller's jaw in two places in attack at Roxanne's in South Shields

Jordan Clements, 24, who was employed as a door supervisor at Roxanne's in South Shields, was captured on CCTV when he knocked the man to the ground with a single blow that left him needing surgery.

Newcastle Crown Court was shown the footage and heard the victim had been "clearly very intoxicated" before he was attacked.

The court heard after he was injured, the victim was "rather forcibly" led out of the club by other males, who may have been told he was a "troublemaker".

Prosecutor Emma Dowling said the victim had been out drinking with friends since the early evening and the violence happened in the early hours of March 18 last year.

Miss Dowling said Clements was "in a position of responsibility as a member of the door staff" and added: "He was supposed to protect his customers, not assault them."

In a victim statement, the injured man, who already has a metal plate on one side of his jaw from an unrelated incident, said: "I already have a plate in my jaw. I truly believe if I had been punched in that area I wouldn't be here to make this statement.

"I have a two-month old baby girl. All I could think of was my daughter would be without her father."

The court heard the victim needed two weeks off work.

Clements, of Aspin Place, South Shields, admitted causing grievous bodily harm.

Judge Edward Bindloss sentenced Clements to 13 months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, with 100 hours unpaid work and rehabilitation requirements.

He said: "The defendant was in a position of responsibility to protect the customers.

"Here, when one of the customers was very intoxicated, he punched him to the ground causing fractures to the cheeks."

Nicholas Lane, defending, said: "It is clear there is, over a period of time, some altercation between the defendant's brother and the complainant but the defendant accepts entirely his response was inappropriate.

"Immediately before, the complainant had made an obscene gesture towards the defendant's brother, that's what caused him to lash out."