A drunken man who broke the jaw of a young rugby player has been spared an immediate prison sentence.

Andrew Hunter, 30, injured Jack Peet with a single, mighty punch as boisterous late night behaviour between two groups of men in Penrith town centre turned violent.

Mr Peet, a former north of England under-18 rugby union player, underwent surgery after the attack to fit metal plates and screws into his jaw. This had been fractured twice.

Hunter was sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court today having admitted causing Mr Peet grievous bodily harm in the early hours of November 8 last year.

The defendant accepted being "very drunk" at the time of the incident.

But Judge Tony Lancaster heard he was a "hard-working and industrious" man for whom a number of glowing character references had been written.

As a result, a 15-month prison sentence was suspended for 18 months.

Hunter, of South Road, Kirkby Stephen, must complete 240 hours of unpaid work and pay his victim £1,500 compensation. He was told by Judge Lancaster: "This was an incident of alcohol-fuelled violence."