Man jailed for headbutting reveller at TT funfair

Anthony Langley was branded a "thug" by the sentencing deemster

A man who punched and headbutted a a reveller at the annual funfair during the Isle of Man TT has been jailed for one year and 11 months.

Anthony Langley, 18, attacked the man twice outside a fair token booth on Douglas Promenade on 1 June after asking if he was the "best mate" of someone else.

Douglas Courthouse heard Langley's victim needed corrective surgery after his nose was broken in the assault.

Deemster Graeme Cook said his actions had amounted to "absolute thuggery".

The court heard Langley, of Peel Road in Douglas, approached the man at about 19:30 BST and asked him about another man before launching the first attack, punching him in the face several times.

He then walked away but returned a short time later and told the man he just wanted to talk before headbutting the victim, leaving him with a broken nose and injured cheekbone.

'Absolute worst'

Langley was arrested and while he initially denied the assault, he later pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm.

The court heard the victim had to undergo nose realignment surgery and had been struggling with anxiety.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, he said he could no longer "socialise with friends without fearing that something would happen", and still did not understand why he was attacked.

Sentencing Langley, Deemster Cook said it was "thuggery at its absolute worst with a completely innocent victim".

His behaviour was not something that the streets of Douglas "or anywhere else" should have to endure, he added.

Langley was also handed a restraining order banning him from contacting the victim.