A NIGHTCLUB doorman has been jailed for a year after damaging a man's eye so badly his victim required two operations and continues to suffer the effects almost a year later.

Joe Davies punched the man several times when the latter was on the floor on top of another doorman, following a melee at Blisters nightclub in Bargoed last March, a sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court was told.

Prosecuting counsel Gareth James said Davies, 30, of New Bethel Road, Mynyddislwyn, near Blackwood, was working at the club in the early hours of March 12 last year, when two women became involved in a fight.

Davies intervened lawfully in his role as a doorman, and claimed he was hit while trying to deal with the incident.

After he punched his victim the man was carried out and became unconscious. He suffered lacerations to his left eye, the socket of which was fractured, and "significant swelling and bruising", said Mr James.

His eye movement was restricted and he suffered double vision. One operation to insert a plate in the socket was unsuccessful, so a second was required, though problems persist, and he has had to give up his job as it involved driving.

Defence counsel Nigel Fryer said Davies "apologises profusely" to his victim.

He added that a pre-sentence report characterises Davies, a retained firefighter, as being a low risk in terms of re-offending.

"The reason he was working as a doorman was to supplement his family's income while his new business was established and he could get into the position where he could pay himself a wage," said Mr Fryer.

"This was one of those desperate, unfortunate circumstances where one is driven to the edge and snaps. He was struck from behind, he doesn't know by whom. He is set upon and the situation is escalating.

"He accepts he should not have lost his temper. He intervened properly, but accepts it is a very ugly incident."

Judge Tom Crowther QC told Davies - who pleaded guilty to a charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm - that while crouching over his victim, he had "delivered a succession of close, powerful punches".

"You set about a completely helpless man to show him you were the boss. I can have no belief you were behaving to keep the peace," said Judge Crowther.