A punch was thrown at pub manager Robert Hamill and cost him a broken jaw and eight teeth, a court heard.

The man who delivered the savage blow paid the penalty for Mr Hamill's injuries - an 18-month prison sentence.

Stephen Cooper, 30, fell out with Mr Hamill who ran the Moon of the Square pub in Basildon Market.

Basildon Crown Court heard how Cooper asked Mr Hamill if he would look after a plastic bag containing £600 worth of goods in the pub safe.

The pub manager agreed, but when Cooper went back to get the money it was missing.

It led to a quarrel in which irate Cooper, of Newberry Side, Laindon, was allegedly barred from the pub.

Some time later Cooper approached Mr Hamill in Basildon town centre and said: "I told you I would catch up with you."

In the fracas, Cooper is alleged to have called Mr Hamill a thief, although it was not revealed in court how the money disappeared from the pub safe.

There were insults between the two men and eventually Cooper struck out. Mr Hamill was taken to hospital where metal plates were put in his broken jaw.

Cooper, who has previous convictions for assault, theft and burglary, was arrested and maintained he only hit out once.

His barrister Gelaga King said: "Mr Cooper's explanation was that he was taunted and struck by Mr Hamill who was drunk.

"He punched him only once and has denied pushing him away."

Cooper, who has been on remand in custody since November, pleaded guilty to causing the pub manager grievous bodily harm and to breaching a community service order imposed two years ago.

Judge Peter Thompson said the attack and subsequent injuries to Mr Hamill were so serious that only a prison sentence was appropriate.

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