THEY were just messing around during a drunken night out.

Simon Gilby and Alan Turner were playfighting as the walked along a Southampton city centre street.

But their shadow boxing turned to disaster when Turner punched Mr Gilby in the face.

He collapsed to the ground, smashing his head and suffering three fractures to his skull.

Tragically the shattering impact left Mr Gilby deaf, changing his life forever, Southampton Crown Court heard.

He no longer has a job and lives on benefits. He has a constant whirling sound like a washing machine in his head and he has been forced to give up playing football.

He can no longer communicate properly with his four-year-old daughter, who lives in London, the court was told.

Now Mr Gilby is awaiting a cochlear transplant operation in a bid to restore his hearing but, because of funding restrictions, he would only receive one implant.

In an impact statement read to the court, he said: “I will have to learn to hear again.”

Prosecutor Dawn Hyland told the court that the shadow boxing had been seen several people including a police officer, who had arrested Turner.

Witnesses had heard one of the pair shout “hit me” before the blow landed. The two men had known each other for about a month and had been chatting earlier that evening, the court heard.

Mr Gilby told police he had been having a night out with friends and was walking by himself. “The next thing I remember was waking up in hospital,” he said.

Turner, a 33-year-old site foreman, of Tristan Close, Calshot, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm and received an 18-month suspended sentence with 12 months supervision and a 150-hour community work order. He was also ordered to pay Mr Gilby £3,000 compensation.

Recorder Michael Parroy QC said: “The money will not alter anything significantly but may help him in some way.”

Passing sentence, the judge said the affect on the victim was horrendous.

“Having been a fit and healthy young man, he will never be the person he was before and nothing I do can effectively change that,” he said.

“If this had been a deliberate assault intending to cause harm out of malice, there would have been only one outcome but this was drunken fooling around which went tragically and desperately wrong. You have accepted full responsibility and you are remorseful. This complete tragedy I have no doubt has blighted your life.”

Both men had been affected by alcohol and it was a simple blow which was not premeditated and Turner have no relevant previous convictions, he added.

“I am satisfied what you did wasn't deliberate and out of character. An immediate custodial sentence in the exceptional circumstances of this case would be wrong.”