A gatecrasher who knocked a man unconscious and broke his teeth after he was refused entry into a party has been jailed for nine months.

Timothy Rodwell, 23, from Nanny Lane, Church Fenton, became violent after the man, who he knew beforehand, refused to let him into his house in the village on the night of February 28 this year.

He had turned up at his door with a friend who owed the victim money. Both were turned away because the debt had not been paid.But he returned and entered the house without permission.

Philippa Wordsworth, prosecuting, said Rodwell started to punch the complainant when he was evicted.

He came back to the house quarter of an hour later claiming his nose had been broken. The defendant asked him to walk further down the road fearing the noise would disturb his guests.

Miss Wordsworth said: "A witness said the defendant then punched the complainant who fell on to the road. He wasn't moving."The defendant bent over him and started punching him in the face. The witness shouted that he had had enough, but the defendant kicked him in the face and ran off."

Rodwell was charged with actual bodily harm after breaking the complainant's front and incisor teeth, causing cuts to the inside of his mouth and abrasions to his elbow and face.

Rodwell had drunk a litre-and-a-half bottle of wine and two pints of beer before the attack. He claimed that the complainant hit him first.

Judge Peter Baker QC said: "On this occasion you had drunk far too much and you went somewhere where you were not welcome."There is not the slightest excuse for inflicting the sort of injuries that you did, and worst of all there is evidence of a kick or blow to a prostrate form, which can cause terrible injuries.

"The only possible sentence is one of custody."

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