A 28-year-old who punched a man unconscious outside Jaks has been handed a suspended sentence.

The victim suffered a broken left eye socket after being struck from behind by Ugur Izet.

Izet pleaded guilty to assault causing grievous bodily harm and was sentenced to eight months' custody, suspended for two years.

He was also fined £500 and must pay the victim £500 compensation.

Prosecuting advocate Kate Alexander told the court that police were called to Jaks on January 12, at around 3.15am, after a report of a fight outside.

A male was unconscious for around 20 minutes in Granville Street.

He later told police that he had been drinking at the pub and had had no issues inside.

However, he said as he walked out he was punched from behind in the head, causing him to fall to the ground.

He said he hadn’t seen who had hit him, but Izet was identified by witnesses.

During a police interview, the defendant, who appeared in court with a Turkish interpreter, answered ‘no comment’ to all questions.

The court heard that he had no previous convictions.

Ms Alexander said that no victim impact statement had been received, but it had taken eight to nine weeks for the victim’s injury to heal.

Defence advocate Helen Lobb entered a basis of plea on behalf of her client, in which Izet said he had been in the pub with his brother, when the victim had approached them.

He said that the victim had been so drunk that he kept repeatedly introducing himself, which had prompted them to laugh.

Izet said that the victim had then asked his brother to go outside while making threatening remarks, which had then led to the attack.

The basis of plea was accepted by the prosecution.

Ms Lobb said that it had been a single punch, and that the eye socket injury had been caused when the victim hit the ground.

The advocate said that Izet was not seeking to blame the victim, but that there did appear to have been some provocation.

Ms Lobb said that her client was not a big drinker and had not been intoxicated on the night of the offence.

She said that the incident could be classed as self-defence gone too far, but that Izet accepted that he and his brother could have removed themselves from the situation.

The advocate said that, if Izet was sent to custody, he would not be in a position to pay compensation to the victim.

A probation report assessed the defendant, who lives at Bucks Road in Douglas, as a medium risk of harm to others, but a low risk of re-offending.

Magistrates’ chair Julian Ashcroft told Izet: ‘There are many people who receive a single punch, and their injuries are catastrophic, if not fatal.

‘You are very lucky the injuries suffered were not more serious.’

Izet was also ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs and will pay all amounts at a rate of £50 per month.