AN AMATEUR boxer who threw a punch so hard that it separated a man's jaw after a drunken row on a night out has been spared jail.

Tommy Connors, of The Furlong, Standlake, Witney, had denied the attack in the early hours of May 5 in Witney town centre but a jury convicted him of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm last month.

The 20-year old, the court heard, had been out with friends when his group chanced upon another group of revellers, from RAF Brize Norton, who had also been out drinking that night.

An altercation took place and Connors was captured on CCTV hitting his victim once in the head, causing injuries so severe the man's jaw was separated in one place and fractured in another.

Oxford Crown Court heard during his sentencing on Friday how the video footage of the incident which had been played during his trial appeared to show him 'celebrating' the punch and the effect it had on his victim.

Connors, a roofer, claimed he had acted in 'excessive self-defence' and that being trained in boxing had only added weight to the blow and a force that he didn't know he was capable of.

Defending, Lewis MacDonald, said: "Boxing is a sport of discipline to him. This incident has underlined to him what he is capable of if he is not careful.

"He has repeatedly underlined to me his intention to make sure it will never happen again."

He added: "The CCTV footage shows him celebrating. Watching it back he was horrified and he doesn't seek to shy away from that."

Sentencing Connors Judge Peter Ross said: "Ironically had it not been for the effectiveness of being able to punch, you would not have caused this injury.

"It was the fact that he was able to use violence so effectively that has caused this situation."

He added: "The sport of boxing is one that instils discipline, you know that you allowed your standards to slip that night and you used excessive violence.

"It was only one punch but it was the force and delivery that amounted to excessive force. But I accept there was an element of self defence in this."

Ultimately Connors was given a nine-month jail term suspended for two years.

He must also carry out 80 hours of unpaid work and abide by a curfew in affect Friday, Saturday and Sunday between 7pm and 6am.

He was also ordered to pay compensation of £1,500 and court costs of £1,000 as well as a statutory victim surcharge.