A FELIXSTOWE man who broke the jaw of a friend who refused to give him a lift has avoided jail after a judge ruled he had turned his life around.

A FELIXSTOWE man who broke the jaw of a friend who refused to give him a lift has avoided jail after a judge ruled he had turned his life around.

Christopher Kemp, 24, of Holland Road, admitted causing grievous bodily harm when he appeared before Judge John Holt at Ipswich Crown Court.

Ian Pells, prosecuting, said Kemp had been with another man in the middle of Felixstowe late on the evening of July 14 and the other man had asked the driver to take Kemp to the seafront.

The driver had refused because Kemp seemed drunk, but later the two men had seen him in the leisure centre car park. Kemp had confronted him and asked why he had not given him a lift.

Kemp then hit the man on the chin and tried to hit him again. The driver had left in his car, and as it drove passed Kemp kicked it, creating a dent in the bodywork.

The driver had not thought he was seriously hurt, but two days later his chin still hurt and he went to the doctor.

He was then sent to Ipswich Hospital which confirmed his jaw was broken and he then required an operation to reset it.

Roger Thomson, for Kemp, said he now had a job and he had turned his life around since the offence.

He had completed unpaid work from another offence, and had voluntarily completed literacy classes organised by the probation service.

He was now living with his father who was in court to offer him support.

Judge Holt ordered Kemp to complete 150 hours unpaid work and to pay his victim £1,500 compensation over the next year.

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