A PUB-GOER had a bottle smashed in his face after entering a toilet to challenge a man who had earlier attacked him.

Philip Kemp was left with a cut on his forehead and swelling and bruising on his lip after the attack in a Darlington, last November.

Mr Kemp's attacker, Rory Nelson, was given a community sentence, yesterday, at Teesside Crown Court, after he admitted affray.

Nelson, 22, was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work for the community and undergo 12 months of probation supervision.

The court heard that 25-year-old Mr Kemp had an altercation with Nelson in the toilets at town centre bar Cactus Jacks, on November 17.

Mr Kemp was in a cubicle when he heard a voice and opened the door to see Nelson, who punched him in the mouth for no reason.

Peter Sabiston, proscuting, said the angry victim went to find friends and returned to the toilets to confront his attacker.

Mr Sabiston said Mr Kemp tried to grab Nelson, but during a struggle was struck in the head with a bottle and became covered in blood.

The court heard that it is not known who threw or wielded the bottle, but there was no evidence to prove it was Nelson.

Richard Herrmann, mitigating, said Nelson had drunk about ten pints of lager and had little recollection of what happened.

He said his client over-reacted to bumping into Mr Kemp in the toilets, lost his temper and threw one punch.

"He thought the matter was over," said Mr Herrmann. "What happened after that is something the defendant could not have anticipated."

The court heard that Nelson, of Jura Drive, Darlington, had been barred from pubs in the Darlington area as part of bail conditions, and had curbed his drinking.

Judge Tony Briggs told him: "Those who start violence in public places must realise it can get out of hand and escalate far further than you initially thought it might.

"It affects everyone when it happens, and it is unpleasant to witness and can lead to very serious injury.

"Happily, on this occasion, that didn't happen, at least at your hands, and it seems to me that there are reasons for thinking that you appreciate the stupidity of what you have done."