A man who knocked a rugby league star unconscious in the street with a single punch has been sentenced by a judge.

Conor Paul Irving, 22, had denied assaulting Workington Town’s Callum Phillips, causing him actual bodily harm. This followed an incident in the centre of Workington during the early hours of March 20.

But after hearing all the evidence in a trial at Carlisle Crown Court, the jury yesterday found Irving unanimously guilty of the offence.

During the hearing, jurors watched CCTV footage which captured the attack on Mr Phillips.

Giving evidence, Mr Phillips said he was out in Workington having returned from an away match earlier in the night. He recalled talking to his friend outside a takeaway. “That was the last thing I remember.

“I woke up while I was getting stitched in Whitehaven hospital,” he said.

Mr Phillips received stitches to both his mouth and head. He also underwent X-rays and scans to his jaw, which was swollen and bruised. No injuries were detected, however, and he was discharged from the hospital that morning.

Irving told the court he spoke with Mr Phillips outside the takeaway, and tried to resolve a previous problem between their families.

He only lashed out, he claimed, because he feared he would be attacked himself.

Kimberley Obrusik, defending, gave mitigation on behalf of Irving, a man with no previous convictions.

“This is a young man who immediately after the incident was sorry for what had happened and shocked for what he had done.

“He feared he had done more damage than he quite fortunately did. That in itself has been a lesson to him.”

Judge Peter Hughes QC told Irving the CCTV footage showed he “swung out quite deliberately” at Mr Phillips.

“It was an extremely forceful blow. He fell to the ground and struck the back of his head, probably against the kerb.

“I have come across cases during my professional life where people have died as a result of blows such as that.”

Judge Hughes was aware of apparent previous issues between the two families, but stressed: “It was no justification at all that night for what you did.”

While accepting that the offence crossed the “custody threshold”, Judge Hughes instead opted to punish Irving by restricting his liberty – particularly over the festive season.

He imposed a 12-week electronically monitored night-time curfew.

Irving, of Derwent Mills, Cockermouth, must pay both £600 compensation to Mr Phillips and £600 costs.