A PUBGOER who wanted to enjoy a karaoke evening with a friend ended up with a fractured skull and brain damage after he was attacked.

Jeffrey Dawson was punched in the face and fell backwards, hitting his head on a fireplace at the Balmoral pub in Bradshawgate.

At Bolton Crown Court his attacker, 48-year-old Brendan Tansey was jailed for 10 months after pleading guilty to causing grievous bodily harm.

Andrew Mackintosh, prosecuting, told how HGV driver Mr Dawson was celebrating a friend’s birthday in Bolton town centre on the evening of November 26 last year and had a couple of drinks.

“They then made their way to the Balmoral where the friend wanted to sing at a karaoke evening,” said Mr Mackintosh.

Mr Dawson remembers seeing some friends of his wife.

“The next thing he recalls of that adventure was waking up about a week later in Salford Royal Hospital,” said Mr Mackintosh.

“Mr Dawson was punched by the defendant and struck his head causing significant injuries to his brain,”

The judge, Recorder Rowena Goode saw CCTV from inside the pub which showed the two men standing separately before apparently getting into an argument. Mr Dawson took hold of Tansey’s hood and then, a short time later, Tansey threw a single punch at his victim.

Mr Mackintosh said Mr Dawson was knocked unconscious and taken to hospital. He was confused and vomiting, with a seven centimetre wound to the back of his head.

Tests revealed he had suffered a fractured skull and there was bleeding on the left side of his brain.

He regained consciousness a week later but had lost a sense of smell and taste, is forgetful and had his driving licence suspended.

"This incident has actually ruined everything," he later told police.

Tansey, of Haverhill Grove, Tonge Moor, who has 17 previous convictions, including some for violence, was identified and arrested.

Kimberley Morton, defending Tansey said: "He is extremely remorseful.

"He never intended the result of the punch to be the complainant suffering the injuries he did."

She stressed that the construction worker had been subject to "a degree of provocation" before the assault with Mr Dawson grabbing his coat.

Recorder Goode told Tansey the injuries were so serious that she had no option but to send him to jail

immediately.