A DRUNK who broke his victim’s jaw with a punch after he had attacked him “kickboxing style” outside a busy bar was jailed.

Jason Parle, of Tribute Avenue, Cwmcarn, assaulted Jared Hopkins outside the Porters pub in Blackwood High Street after they had been drinking together in a group.

Newport Crown Court heard how the victim and a friend of the defendant had engaged in “banter” outside the bar after closing time which was misinterpreted.

Parle became angry after he mistook a couple of playful slaps in “jest” aimed by “acquaintance” Mr Hopkins at his pal who had laughed it off.

The defendant, who the court heard was “very drunk”, said he thought it was an attack and had claimed he only acted in self-defence after confronting the complainant.

Parle tried to kick Mr Hopkins to the ground before he floored him with the punch. He kicked him once again, to the leg, as he lay prone before the fight was broken up.

Prosecutor Lowri Wynn Morgan said the 28-year-old pleaded guilty to causing his victim grievous bodily harm in the early hours of Sunday, October 2016.

She said he had attacked Mr Hopkins “kickboxing” or “martial arts” style and that he had required surgery at Newport’s Royal Gwent Hospital for his injury and had to have two metal plates inserted. He also lost two teeth.

After Parle was arrested, he told detectives how he though the complainant was “having a go at my mate” and how he “didn’t like people picking on his friend and showing off in front of girls”.

Miss Wynn Morgan told the court that the defendant has 16 convictions for 41 offences which included one for violence, a firearms charge and numerous thefts.

A victim impact statement revealed how Mr Hopkins has been left feeling “paranoid” about Parle by the attack and that, “I find myself looking over my shoulder to see if he’s there”

Claire Pickthall, mitigating, said her client, a father-of-two, had shown “genuine remorse” for what he had done and had admitted his guilt.

She added that he has a “personality disorder” and “for him, there had been a great deal of provocation,” even if it had been in error.

In appealing to the judge to not send Parle to jail, Miss Pickthall said that her client had been offered a job stripping vans to be refurbished and better accommodation by Rhydian James, who, an early hearing was told, is a former solicitor.

But Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said that the offence was so serious that only a custodial sentence could be justified.

She jailed Parle for 22 months and told him he would serve half that sentence before being released on licence.

The judge also imposed a restraining order for him not to contact Mr Hopkins for 10 years, which included any communication on social media.