Jasdeep Lall's hand was crushed in an attack at a Southampton pub by Thomas Pigford who was later jailed for 16 months

Jasdeep Lall suffered multiple fractures when his hand was crushed against a wall while restraining an aggressive punter racially abusing him.

Now he has told how his attacker’s jail sentence should be a deterrent for drinkers to avoid targeting bar staff and revellers in fits of alcohol-fuelled rage.

Mr Lall told the Daily Echo his injuries initially restricted his ability to carry out his day job in the medical profession and that fear of a repeat attack ultimately led him to give up bar work.

As previously reported, Thomas Pigford, 24, of Middle Road, Sholing, was jailed for 16 months after admitting racially aggravated actual bodily harm.

It followed a violent outburst in the city’s Inferno night club in Bevois Valley in August last year when Mr Lall refused to serve Pigford any more alcohol.

The drunken punter tried to pick up a pint of beer from the bar and Mr Lall approached to restrain him.

In the struggle the barman’s right arm was squashed awkwardly against the wall and Pigford, pictured below, shouted racial abuse at him.

Pigford was eventually thrown out into the street and was arrested by police.

Mr Lall – a former police officer also trained in martial arts – suffered a radial fracture to his metatarsal and a split finger bone requiring an plaster cast for three weeks.

In mitigation Rebecca Vanstone said Pigford – a pipefitter with several previous convictions for violence, including battery and the assault of a police officer - had no intention to cause Mr Lall harm.

But Recorder Alistair Malcolm QC ruled he deserved prison.

Speaking after the Southampton Crown sentencing, Mr Lall said: “It feels like the hammer of justice has fallen and it will be a clear deterrent to that type of behaviour.

“It’s unacceptable for anyone to have to go through what I went through when they are working. If there are fewer Friday nights where he isn’t going to be out there hurting someone then it has made my injury worth it.”

He branded the racist abuse “humiliating” and said that his injuries have restricted his work, adding: “I’ve have had to teach myself to hold a needle in a different way so I don’t hurt the clients.

“It was almost like having to use my left arm so that it could be comfortable for them.”

Thomas Pigford

He since quit his bar job, adding: “It was never the same again.

“I used to be there shaking customers’ hands and would be someone to share their stories with but after that I was a totally different person and it affected my work.

“I was always worried and keeping a watch on the doorway and reliving the incident.”

Mr Lall, who also occasionally works as a doorman, added: “I just want to warn partygoers who are out there to have a good time to make sure they are safe.

“There are people who are out there looking for a fight and looking for trouble.”