A ROOFER who broke a man’s jaw in two places in an unprovoked attack has been handed a suspended sentence.

Victim Joshua Briggs had to have metal plates installed and faced several operations after being punched by Sheldon McKay in Colchester town centre.

And months later, during a chance meeting, McKay threatened to stab Mr Briggs as he believed he was assisting the police with the investigation.

McKay, 23, admitted charges of grievous bodily harm and threatening to take revenge on day two of a trial at Ipswich Crown Court.

At a sentencing hearing yesterday, Matthew Morgan, prosecuting, read from a victim impact statement prepared shortly after the assault in March 2017.

He said: “In terms of emotional effect he says he feels vulnerable when going out in case he sees his attacker again.

“He says ‘I used to go on nights out in town once a week with friends but I have not been out since it happened’.”

Mr Briggs gave a further statement in September 2018 after he was threatened saying he was “always looking over his shoulder” for McKay.

Adam Budworth, mitigating, said McKay, of Ridgewell Way, Colchester, had already spent eight months in prison.

He said: “This is the first chance he has had to engage with the agencies who could help him and he tells me he would like the chance to show he can change.

“He wants to be there for his daughter and he does not want to come back to court for these kind of offences. He is beginning to change and see the error of his ways.”

The court also heard one of McKay’s close family members is terminally ill.

Judge Rupert Overbury described the attack as “spontaneous violence against someone who was entirely innocent”.

He said: “He suffered a significant injury to his jaw requiring the insertion of plates and bolts and various operations. Someone whose jaw is broken in such a way may never fully recover from it.”

He added: “Ordinarily young men of your age who get drunk and commit unprovoked acts of violence should go straight to prison but your case is unusual and has unusual circumstances.”

For the assault McKay was sentenced to 18 months in prison and for threatening revenge he received six months. The sentences will be consecutive. Both were suspended for two years.

He must complete 180 hours of unpaid work, 25 rehabilitation days and an anger management programme.

McKay was also banned from Colchester town centre between 8pm and 5am for one year and he must pay compensation of £2,000 to Mr Briggs.