A MAN has been jailed for landing a single punch which broke his victim’s jaw.

Thomas Foster-Barnes, of Minchery Road, Littlemore, Oxford, was sentenced to 16 months in prison at Oxford Crown Court.

The 22-year-old admitted one count of causing grievous bodily harm to student Alexander Abbott in the early hours of March 9 last year.

Gary Venturi, prosecuting, said Foster-Barnes was with a group of people drinking in Park End Street, Oxford, when they came across a group containing his victim.

He said Mr Abbott and his friends were looking for a taxi when trouble broke out between the two groups.

The barrister told Judge Patrick Eccles that Mr Abbott was leaning against a lamp post when Foster-Barnes walked up and punched him in the centre of his mouth.

Mr Venturi said the defendant then walked off leaving his victim in pain, with blood in his mouth and a wobbly tooth.

The prosecutor said it wasn’t until the next morning, when Mr Abbott woke up with an “excruciating” pain in his jaw, unable to speak, that he went to hospital.

He now has a titanium plate in his jaw, which was fractured in two places by the blow, Mr Venturi added.

Foster-Barnes has 19 convictions for 30 offences, including battery, causing actual bodily harm, possessing cannabis and driving offences.

Jane Malcolm, defending, said her client could not remember the attack because he was drunk, but was very sorry for what he had done.

She added that he was intending to turn over a new leaf by moving away from Oxford to Blackpool.

Judge Eccles said it had been an “unprovoked” attack and sentenced Foster-Barnes to 16 months in prison with a £120 victims’ surcharge.