South Tyneside reveller spared jail after leaving man with broken cheekbone and eye socket when row started in Newcastle bar

A South Tyneside reveller who broke bones in a stranger's face with a single punch when violence flared outside a Newcastle bar has been spared jail.
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James Moore had downed between 15 and 20 double vodkas when he got involved in a row inside a bar in Newcastle.

Newcastle Crown Court when the trouble continued outside, the 32-year-old suffered a bite to his finger and so lashed out.

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The force of the blow he threw caused a broken cheekbone and eye socket to another man, who had been trying to stop the violence.

James MooreJames Moore
James Moore

Moore, of Crawley Square, Hebburn, pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm on the basis it was excessive self-defence.

Prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw told the court the victim and his friends were in the same city centre bar as Moore and his pals on November 3, 2018.

After clashing with one of the victim's friends, Moore and the friend were removed by security.

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The court heard Moore had suffered a cut finger as a result of a bite and both he and the other man were agitated, with Moore "bouncing on his heels for a short period".

Mr Wardlaw said: "Other members of the group, including the complainant, approached the two men.

"The complainant was not aggressive in any way to the defendant and he put his hand up to keep them apart, at which point the defendant struck a single blow to the face of the complainant, who fell to the ground."

The victim, did not bang his head on the pavement but the punch fractured his eye socket and cheek bone and he had to have surgery with metal plates inserted and was left with difficulty chewing, headaches and anxiety.

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A policeman who witnessed the assault spoke to Moore, who told him: "I only punched him because one of them bit my thumb and he started having a go".

When interviewed, he said his memory was unclear due to the amount of alcohol he had consumed.

He was apologetic when shown the CCTV footage and said he did not mean to do it.

Judge Julie Clemitson sentenced Moore to 11 months suspended for 18 months and ordered him to pay £1,000 compensation.

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Christopher Knox, defending, said Moore's girlfriend gave birth to his son two weeks ago and that he works and also has a new business which is is trying to set up with his friend.

Mr Knox said the "haymaker" was a "surprisingly effective blow" and that a disability in his arm affected the power used.

He added: "He is not a hooligan, there was an incident in the club which was not his fault.

"He got a cut as a result of a bite but I'm not making any allegations about how that occurred.

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"There was an argument and someone started pushing and he launched this one punch."

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