A BUILDER has been found guilty of punching his former employee in the face, breaking his jaw in two places.

Craig Morphet was lying when he said he was not responsible for the attack on labourer Damian Croad, a jury at Bradford Crown Court decided this afternoon when it delivered its verdict.

Morphet, who runs a rendering business, was found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm on Mr Croad on August 24 last year.

He was then warned by Judge David Hatton QC to expect a prison sentence.

During the trial, Mr Croad told the court Morphet, of Crescent View, Keighley, knocked on the window of his friend's house in the town and he went out to meet him.

He owed Morphet £200 and his former boss punched him to the left side of his jaw, before stating: "You should have kept in touch. You robbed me."

He then punched him again to the face.

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Mr Croad sustained a double fracture to the jaw and was taken by ambulance to Airedale General Hospital.

Mr Croad was transferred overnight to Bradford Royal Infirmary where he had surgery to insert three titanium plates into his jaw.

He spent a week in hospital but was readmitted two months later for a further operation after the injury became infected.

Mr Croad told the jury he suffered pain and discomfort and had lost all feeling in that side of his jaw.

In his defence, Morphet has claimed to the court that the attack on Mr Croad was nothing to do with him.

He said he did not leave the nearby Bracken Arms public house, in Bracken Bank Grove, Keighley, for the whole of that evening.

But the jury heard an incriminating text message in which Mr Croad accused Morphet of smashing his jaw.

Morphet and a friend then exchanged phone messages joking about what had happened to Mr Croad, the jury was told.

After the guilty verdict, James Bourne-Arton, Morphet's barrister, said his client was a family man in full employment who had others working for him.

He asked Judge Hatton to adjourn the case for a probation service report.

Morphet was bailed until October 30 on condition he does not contact Mr Croad, his sister or his niece.

Judge Hatton told Morphet: "A prison sentence can be anticipated."