A man had to have surgery to fit titanium plates in his face after he suffered fractures around his right eye when he was punched once in a Huddersfield pub.

Nathan Foster had no recollection of what had happened to him after joining other family members in the Clarence in Towngate, Newsome on the evening of August 24 last year after a christening celebration, Soheil Khan prosecuting told Leeds Crown Court.

One witness described seeing Mr Foster face to face with Paul Haigh by the pool table after people suddenly stopped chatting.

She did not see what had happened but by then the right side of Mr Foster’s face was swollen and he had a black eye and Haigh then quickly walked away.

Another witness said Mr Foster then tried to swing at the other man, missed and fell down some steps striking his head against an advertising hoard. He was lying face down and was bleeding around one eye.

A forensic pathologist who reviewed the medical evidence said the fractures found were consistent with one heavy punch.

When Haigh was arrested he told police: “I’m guilty, I hit him.”

He said he saw his son and Mr Foster confronting each other at the pool table and thought Mr Foster was making a fist “and did the wrong thing” by going over and hitting him to protect his son.

He said it was only one punch and he realised he had no right to hit him.

As a result of his injury Mr Foster had to have four titanium plates fitted and was still suffering numbness months later.

The court heard Haigh, a landscape gardener was in stable employment and had expressed remorse. Elyas Patel representing him said the work was largely seasonal.

Haigh, 48, of Newsome Avenue, Newsome, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm and was given a 12 month community order with a 15 day activity requirement, 200 hours unpaid work and £500 costs.

Judge Rodney Jameson QC said had it not caused such a serious injury to the victim it would probably not have ended up in the crown court.

“But it did cause him significant injury, it must have been a very heavy punch, because it cause multiple fractures to the eye socket, all of which took some time to resolve.”

He told Haigh he could draw back from a custodial sentence because “it was a single blow and I have no doubt you regret it.”