Hitting wrong man lands drunk teenager with £2,000 bill (From Daily Echo)

Hitting wrong man lands drunk teenager with £2,000 bill

1:30pm Friday 22nd March 2013 in News

A SELF-employed carpenter, who fractured a stranger’s jaw outside a Southampton nightclub, has been ordered to pay his victim £2,000 in compensation.

Drunken Jamie Austen punched Levi Hughes in the mistaken belief he was the person with whom he had been involved in an altercation, which led to his ejection from the Oceana nightclub.

Jane Terry, prosecuting at Winchester Crown Court, said Mr Hughes was waiting for a taxi in the early hours when the 18-year-old suddenly struck him hard on the left side of his face.

Staff helped him back into the premises, where he found blood on his hands and in his mouth. He was taken to Southampton General Hospital for treatment.

On arrest Austen said he had little recollection of what had happened because he had been drinking but was remorseful.

Austen, 18, of Osborne Road South, St Denys, Southampton, admitted inflicting grievous boldily harm.

“I hope you are very ashamed of yourself,” said Judge Jane Miller QC, imposing a 12-month suspended sentence with 18 months’ supervision and an order to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work for the community.

“You had an argument inside the nightclub and hit the wrong man. The effect on him has been considerable and it was totally unprovoked.”