A MAN who felled a rugby fan with a single punch in a Leamington bar has escaped being jailed – despite fracturing his victim’s cheekbone.
Adam Rowse pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm on his victim during an incident in the Moo Bar in Leamington town centre.
The 21-year-old of Tudor Court, Church Lane, Nuneaton, was sentenced to 12 months in prison suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to take part in an offending behaviour programme and to pay £250 costs.
Prosecutor John Brotherton said in September 2016 the victim met friends in Leamington to watch a Rugby World Cup match, and they ended up in the Moo Bar in Russell Street.
At 1.45am he was standing by the door, and the next thing he recalled was lying on the floor being tended to by other people.
Witnesses said they had seen the victim and another man squaring up to each-other before he was headbutted and knocked to the floor.
The victim was helped to his feet, but was then punched to the face by Rowse, knocking him back down.
An ambulance was called and he was taken to hospital where it was found he had suffered a fractured cheekbone, which has left him with ‘a slight deformity to his face,’ but he failed to attend a follow-up appointment.
Andrew Tucker, for Rowse, said: “He himself was the victim of a very similar attack when he was punched to the back of his head and suffered a fractured skull which kept him off work for some five months.
“That post-dated this matter, and it has left him with problems with his speech and suffering some headaches.”
Recorder Sam Mainds, who observed Rowse had a ‘glowing’ reference from the cleaning company for which he worked, commented: “That might make him even more aware of what he put the victim through in this case.”
