A MAN who broke another man's jaw after punching him in a Dereham pub was on Friday ordered to pay �2,000 compensation to the victim and given a 35-week jail sentence, suspended for 18 months.

A MAN who broke another man's jaw after punching him in a Dereham pub was on Friday ordered to pay �2,000 compensation to the victim and given a 35-week jail sentence, suspended for 18 months.

Roland Le Roy, 22, punched Peter Hoyle as he was standing at the bar in the Plough and Farrow pub, Norwich Crown Court heard.

Rachel Cushing, prosecuting, said that Mr Hoyle could not remember anything about the incident except feeling a pain in his jaw before being knocked unconscious.

She said at first, it was not realised he had broken his jaw, but after further examination he needed a metal plate fitted to the right side of his jaw and had to have a further operation to remove a wisdom tooth.

Mrs Cushing said that Le Roy was identified by witnesses as the person responsible and tried to

run away from police, but was restrained after a struggle.

Le Roy, of South Green, Dereham, admitted causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Hoyle.

As well as being ordered to pay �2,000 compensation and a suspended sentence, he was given an 18-month supervision order and must carry out 200 hours unpaid work.

Michael Clare, for Le Roy, claimed that he had taken exception to a remark made by Mr Hoyle, but accepted he had gone about it

the wrong way by punching Mr Hoyle.

'He does accept full responsibility for the injury,' he added.

Mr Clare said that Le Roy worked as a workshop foreman and had good work prospects.

'He is unlikely to trouble the courts again,' he told the court.