Drunken yob jailed for breaking jaws of two men outside Staffordshire bar

Victims Jake Richards and Dale Wylie tried to intervene when they saw Joshua Jones dragging his girlfriend towards a taxi, Stafford Crown Court heard.

When they told the defendant 'there's no need for that', Jones turned violent, punching Mr Richards to the ground and got on top of him, the court heard.

Mr Wylie managed to grab hold of his friend but Jones then turned on him and knocked him to the ground. Miss Lisa Hancox, prosecuting, said both victims suffered almost identical injuries – a fracture to the jaw.

Jones, aged 22 of Calvin Close, Wombourne, admitted two charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Judge Abbas Mithani, QC, told him: "This was an attack on two individuals who were doing no more than trying to calm you down. These injuries were serious, it is fortunate they were not more serious. I take in to account you have shown genuine remorse and these offences are out of character."

Miss Hancox said the violence erupted on November 28 last year. The defendant's girlfriend, Katie Cartwright, had been told to leave the Pool Bar in Wombourne. Outside the premises, the victims were attempting to get a taxi at the same time as the defendant. They saw Jones pulling Ms Cartwright along, at one point she was on her knees. When Mr Richards told him there was no need for that, Jones replied 'you what?, then began the assaults.

Miss Sharon Bailey, defending, said Jones and his partner are now banned from all local drinking establishments.