A teenager has been labelled an ‘absolute thug’ after breaking his victim’s nose in an unprovoked attack at the TT funfair.

Deemster Graeme Cook had no hesitation in jailing Anthony Langley for 23 months for the brutal assault on Loch Promenade on June 1 this year.

Langley, now 18, was only 17 years old when he approached another male asking him if he was friends with another male before launching an attack before the victim could respond.

The assault happened at 7.30pm on a busy promenade which left the victim with a broken nose and injured cheekbone.

Langley, of Peel Road, Douglas, previously admitted assault causing grievous bodily harm and appeared at the Court of General Gaol Delivery for sentence on Friday.

After confronting the victim, Langley punched him several times before scrapping with another person.

He then told the victim: ‘I’m not going to hit you, I just want to talk’ before headbutting him.

The victim described being in ‘immense pain’ and realised he was bleeding. He was taken to hospital after suffering a broken nose, bruising and swelling.

During the sentencing, a victim impact statement was read out which revealed the physical and psychological damage caused.

The victim said: ‘I had to have nose realignment surgery with painful injections. I was on strong medication for the pain.

‘My anxiety was through the roof and I didn’t leave the house for three or four days.

‘I didn’t deserve to get assaulted and I still don’t understand why it happened. I have had nightmares about it.’

The victim could not even face going on holiday and lost out on £1,000.

He added: ‘I cannot socialise with friends without worrying something will happen to me. I hope all this worrying starts to go but I’m not sure it will.’

Deborah Myerscough, mitigating, urged the deemster to suspend any sentence as Langley is still a young man.

She said: ‘My concern for this young man is that if he was sent up to Jurby he would be with other adults and mixing with some individuals means he would come out worse.

‘We have an opportunity to stem this offending now by offering him support. As far as I know, his ADHD has never been addressed.’

But the plea fell on deaf ears as Deemster Cook told Langley immediate custody was the only option.

He said: ‘On June 1 you were a thug. There is no other way to describe you, absolute thuggery. This is not something the streets of Douglas, or any other part of the island, should experience.’

Langley would have been jailed for three years but was given credit for his guilty plea and his young age.

As well as the 23-month prison sentence, a restraining order was issued until further notice which means Langley cannot contact the victim at all.