A YELVERTON man who headbutted a birthday reveller in a Tavistock bar and then beat him up a second time has been ordered to pay £5,000 to his victim in compensation.

Steven Long, 31, of Willowby Park, encountered his victim in the toilets of a bar in Tavistock and took offence at a joking remark made by the other man.

Eoin McCarthy, prosecuting at Plymouth Crown Court, said Long headbutted his victim on the nose, knocking him into a door, before punching him a number of times.

Long then returned to his table upstairs, and was later confronted by the victim, who had been celebrating his birthday at the bar with his wife and friends.

Mr McCarthy said: "The two men exchanged words very briefly, then the defendant took [the victim] by the neck and punched him, causing him to fall to the ground.

"A kick was then delivered to the head, some witnesses say two kicks.'

The court heard that the victim underwent an operation under general anaesthetic following the attack, in which his cheek bone was broken in three places.

The incident took place on October 24 last year.

Jason Beal, for the defence, said Long had been in trouble with the law as a teenager and had been to prison in 1997, but the experience had made him reform and he had held down a steady job as a boat-builder ever since.

He said: 'He behaved appallingly that night and has brought disgrace on himself and others.'

Judge Francis Gilbert QC told Long that his victim had made nothing more than a 'silly remark' in the toilets.

He said: 'You should have regarded it as silly and instead you hit him in temper. Then later in the bar when he made the unfortunate mistake of asking you why you hit him, you took him by the lapels and hit him again.

'This was a savage and vicious series of attacks by you.'

Judge Gilbert said the case merited an immediate jail sentence, but he had decided to suspend the term of imprisonment as he did not want to hinder Long's progress from his 'wild and criminal' youth.

Long was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay £5,000 in compensation to his victim.