A PARTY host has been jailed after kicking a gate-crasher in the head, leaving him with a badly fractured skull.

Zachary Lowe wept in the dock at Bolton Crown Court as Recorder Nicholas Clarke QC told him: “It is apparent to me that you are distraught about what you have done.

“I accept your remorse is genuine and if you could turn the clock back you would.”

Brian McKenna, prosecuting, told the court how 20-year-old Lowe had been hosting a party at his home in Holme Street, Great Lever, on October 11 last year.

There was no trouble until the early hours of the morning when four drunken men, who had not been invited, turned up.

Mr McKenna said one of them was 19-year-old Connor Byrne and when the gate-crashers refused requests from Lowe to leave, a fight ensued.

Windows were smashed, electrical goods thrown and Lowe fled the property into the street, where others also piled out.

During the fracas Lowe’s friend, 21-year-old Mark McEvilly punched Mr Byrne in the face so hard that he was knocked unconscious and fell to the ground.

A passer-by noticed Mr Byrne was choking and put his hand into his mouth to move his tongue.

Mr McKenna added that as the teenager appeared to be regaining consciousness, his helper tried to sit him up.

But at that moment Lowe appeared and struck Mr Byrne in the stomach with his foot before launching a heavy kick at his head.

Mr Byrne was taken to hospital where he underwent seven hours of surgery for a fractured skull and bleed on his brain.

He also suffered a fractured eye socket and bruising and was treated as an inpatient for two weeks.

The court heard that, at the time, Mr Byrne was in the process of joining the army, but the attack has ended those hopes.

Lowe pleaded guilty to intentionally causing grievous bodily harm and McEvilly, from Little Lever, admitted assault causing actual bodily harm.

Kevin Liston, defending Lowe, said that although he has convictions for burglary he has none for violence.

He stressed that Lowe had been entitled to ask the uninvited guests to leave his party and became out of his depth when they refused and fighting broke out.

“The defendant was faced with a situation that had got drastically out of control. He felt compelled to flee his own home,” said Mr Liston.

He added that Lowe’s kicks at Mr Bryne as he sat on the ground had been “impulsive and poorly considered”.

“A more mature individual might have walked away and phoned the police — regrettably he didn’t do that,” said Mr Liston.

McEvilly, who has several previous convictions for violence, had only been handed a suspended prison sentence three days before the party and was on bail for another offence.

Mark Friend, defending, stressed that the father-of-one had only dealt Mr Byrne with a single blow.

The court heard that since the incident both defendants have been subject to threats and intimidation.

Sentencing Lowe to four years and nine months in jail, Recorder Clarke told him: “There was never any justification for kicking your victim in the head.”

He added that the assault on Mr Byrne had been started by McEvilly, who was jailed for 24 weeks.

“You are a fighter by nature and so you swung a punch that was devastating in its consequences in that it knocked the complainant spark out,” Recorder Clarke told McEvilly.