A CHEF who lost his sense of smell following a vicious random attack has spoken of his anger after his assailant was spared a jail sentence.

Stephen Mountford suffered multiple fractures to the nose when he was head butted and beaten by Gordon Stephenson – and now has to ask supportive colleagues to smell and taste food he is preparing.

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The 28-year-old victim said: “This could affect my future job prospects. It is unbelievable that he has got a suspended jail sentence.

“He blamed his behaviour on testosterone treatment and said an injection was his reason for being angry and aggressive.

“He just took it out on the first person he saw. I don’t accept his sob story.

“He should have got at least a year in jail, epecially as he has eight previous convictions – including kicking and spitting at a police officer.

“Even if he got six months it would have taught him something – you can’t do this.”

Mr Mountford of Pelton Fell, Chester-le-Street, said he was making his way home after watching a televised football match with friends at a pub in August 2011, when he was attacked.

He said: “I heard someone shouting. I turned around and got a massive blow to the head out of the blue (as he head butted me). I fell to my knees and felt more blows to my head.

“My nose was completely shattered and broken away from the skull. I was in surgery for three-and-a-half hours. The surgeon said it was the worst he had seen.”

Mr Mountford worked as a senior chef at Lumley Castle, near Chester-le-Street, at the time and later followed his head chef Stuart Donaldson to work at Newcastle’s Hotel Du Vin.

He said: “Most of my sense of smell won’t come back. I can pick up extreme smells like freshly-roasted coffee, but I cannot even smell sour milk. Saltiness is the hardest to taste.

“My head chef is my best mate as well and is very supportive. But if I want to go for another job, how do I explain that I have lost part of my sense of smell? It also affects my taste.”

Stephenson, 28, of Barley Mow, near Chester-le-Street, who admitted unlawful wounding, was sentenced in Durham Crown Court on Wednesday to an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for a year, during which he will be subject to probation. He must perform 150-hours’ unpaid work, observe a three-month curfew and pay Mr Mountford £300 compensation.