A building company boss who punched a man in the face breaking his lower jaw in three places after a perceived insult in a public house has been ordered to pay his victim £5,000 compensation.

Wayne Capstick’s assault at The Inn at Eastburn was labelled “completely unacceptable, violent and injurious” by the judge sentencing him at Bradford Crown Court today.

But he was spared immediate imprisonment after Recorder Sam Green QC took into account his strong work ethic, positive good character for the past 20 years and willingness to apologise and pay compensation.

Capstick, 40, of Holme House Lane, Keighley, pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding on the evening of June 11 last year at the pub near Steeton.

Prosecutor Eleanor Mitten told the court that he took exception to a remark made by the victim who was in the pub when he and his friends arrived there.

Soon afterwards, Capstick punched him once with a closed first and dragged him outside leaving him face down and unconscious in a pool of blood.

The man was taken to Airedale General Hospital and then treated at Bradford Royal Infirmary where his lower jaw was found to be fractured in three places.

He needed surgery to insert plates and screws and he had been left depressed and anx-ious about going out locally, Miss Mitten said.

In his victim personal statement, he described being in pain for months, having to stop playing five-a-side football because of breathing problems and being unable to eat or sleep properly.

He said his jaw had not set properly and would have to be broken again to be fixed.

He told the court he felt lucky to have survived, saying: “People die from such incidents.”

Capstick’s barrister, Gerald Hendron, said: “It was an impulsive, spontaneous and short-lived assault.”

No weapon was used and the victim’s recovery was “relatively swift.”

He conceded that it was a serious assault that deserved a custodial sentence but urged the court to suspend it.

Capstick ran a building company with employees and sub-contracted workers.

He wished to apologise to his victim and he could pay him compensation.

Recorder Green said Capstick was in drink when he had “perceived some degree of provocation.”

“What you did was unacceptable and needs to be punished,” he said.

Capstick was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with 200 hours of unpaid work.

He must pay his victim £5,000 compensation in the next six months.