Man avoids jail for jaw-breaker punch outside night club

A MAN who broke a workman’s jaw with a single punch and fled from police before getting lost and giving himself up, must pay his victim £5,000 compensation.

Darryl Blantern, 24, of Greater Manchester, also received a 12-month suspended sentence following the drunken attack outside Bangor’s Peep nightclub during the early hours of July 22.

At Caernarfon Crown Court, Judge Huw Rees drew comparisons with another incident outside the same nightclub on April 1, in which Kieran Terence Roberts killed Esinkumo Ayabowei with a single punch (see story, page 5).

Last week Roberts admitted a charge of manslaughter.

The court heard how Blantern, of Ardenfield Drive, Wythenshawe, was involved in an altercation with William John Williams, 22, a carpet fitter, from Anglesey, on Bangor High Street.

Mr Williams was eating a kebab with a group of friends, including some women.

Blantern asked some of the women to come to a private party with him but they declined.

Mr Williams stood up to remonstrate with Blantern, only to be punched to the side of his face, leaving him with a broken jaw in two places. The court heard Mr Williams was unable to eat solid food for several weeks after the incident and was forced to give up his work as a self-employed carpet fitter.

Following the attack, Blantern made his way home with friends in a taxi. Police caught up with him and placed him in handcuffs, only for him to run away as officers tried to retrieve his mobile phone from the back of the taxi.

After an hour on the run, he became lost and gave himself up by flagging down officers in a police car.

Dafydd Roberts, defending, said his client wanted to publicly apologise for his actions and that he had drunk more alcohol than he usually would on a night out.

The judge said he took into account Blantern’s previous good character and early guilty plea. He was sentenced to six months imprisonment each for unlawful wounding and escaping from custody, suspended.

Judge Huw Rees, said: “When William John Williams stood up to remonstrate – with the girls having refused you – you should have walked away. Instead, you punched him in the face.

“The consequences were serious. He suffered two fractures to his jaw, had to wear braces in his mouth and have metal plates inserted.”

He added: “One punch can have devastating effects, as we have already witnessed near the same nightclub earlier this year.

“However, I accept you have displayed genuine remorse.”

As well as having to pay £5,000 compensation to the victim, Blantern will also have to pay £500 court costs and attend thinking skills and rehabilitation programmes.

Judge Rees added that his sentencing would not affect any civil action the victim may choose to follow.