A thug who pinned down a man with a walking stick and punched him in the face leaving him in a bloody heap has been jailed.

Anthony McCabe, the head chef at a Douglas eatery, had been out drinking with his dad on April 8 last year when he accidentally bumped into the victim while at Jaks bar at around 1.30am.

Despite the matter apparently being amicably resolved, McCabe became aggressive, and he was asked to leave.

The victim, who had mobility issues and sometimes needed a wheelchair, had only been in Jaks after missing the bus home following an evening out with his wife.

McCabe, 33, of Central Promenade, Douglas, appeared for sentencing at the Court of General Gaol Delivery on Friday having previously admitted assault causing grievous bodily harm.

Peter Connick, prosecuting, how the victim left shortly after McCabe was told to leave. The victim even shook the father’s hand as they departed in good spirits.

However, as the victim headed to the Marmaris takeaway to get some food he saw McCabe. The next thing he knew was regaining consciousness and was surrounded by police. He was taken by ambulance to hospital.

Mr Connick told the court an off-duty police officer who lives nearby saw two males pinning down the victim and one of them told the other to leave him.

But the male – McCabe – then punched the victim three to four times while he lay on the ground before walking off.

The victim was left soaked in blood with a very swollen face.

A CT scan later showed the victim had suffered a large blow out fracture of the eye socket and a herniation of the muscles relating to the eye. This resulted in him being referred to Aintree Hospital.

A victim impact statement was read out by Mr Connick which said: ‘Since the assault, the pain has been really bad. My left eye is not moving properly and remains really sore.

‘I take a lot of medication, but it is not helping the pain. I have suffered anxiety since the incident. I cannot walk in the dark or go out alone.

‘I used to go out with my grandson a lot but now I don’t trust myself. I don’t feel like a man anymore or feel like I can look after my family.

‘I would not want what happened to me to happen to anyone else.’

Helen Lobb, in mitigation, said it was a short-lived assault and did not involve a weapon.

McCabe’s employment would remain open to him if he avoided prison, she said, but it was likely the venue to cease serving food if he was jailed.

She also said he was getting help for his underlying alcohol issues and was genuinely remorseful.

However, Deemster Graeme Cook took a dim view of the assault.

He said: ‘This was an appalling act of thuggery against a vulnerable man who was left in a pool of blood. People should be able to go out in this island safely.’

Deemster Cook jailed McCabe for 16 months saying there was no reason to suspend any sentence.