A 20-year-old man who punched a man outside a nightclub in Cardinal Park, Ipswich, causing a double fracture to his jaw has been spared an immediate custodial sentence.

Cameron Broom was at Unit 17 in Cardinal Park, Ipswich, with some friends and told Elijah Ford to go away after seeing him “grinding” against members of his group, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Outside the club Mr Broom saw Ford following him and his friends and after telling him to go away he was approached from behind and punched once in the jaw.

Mr Broom suffered a double fracture to his jaw and some broken teeth and underwent surgery to have screws inserted in his jaw.

Ford, who was 18 at the time of the incident in June 2018, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm on Mr Broom

Sentencing him, Judge Emma Peters said he he had punched Mr Broom without any justification.

She sentenced Ford, of Peters Meadows, Stowmarket, to nine months detention in a young offenders’ institution suspended for 18 months and ordered him to do 180 hours unpaid work.

She also ordered him to pay £1,200 compensation to Mr Broom.

Phillips Beswick, for Ford, who has no previous convictions, said he had been celebrating qualifying as a mechanic on the night of the attack and had been intoxicated.