A doorman who left a man deaf in one ear after an assault outside a nightclub has avoided jail.

Steven Young, of Harwood Bar Caravan Park, Great Harwood, was handed a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm.

The court heard that victim Dean Tomlinson was knocked unconscious in the attack, which occurred outside the H20 nightclub in Accrington in November 2015, and left with long-term ‘facial paralysis’ and ‘profound hearing loss’.

Preston Crown Court heard that Young, 39, admitted ‘throwing Mr Tomlinson to the floor’ and causing his injuries, while working as a member of security staff at the nightclub.

But the court was told Young was acting in ‘excessive self defence’ after he tried to stop a ‘drunk’ Mr Tomlinson re-entering the club, and Mr Tomlinson ‘lunged’ at him.

Prosecutor Jane Dagnall said: “Mr Young says ‘I accept I grabbed him and threw him to the floor, I accept that I went too far in defending myself and I am very sorry for what I have done’.

“Very sadly Mr Tomlinson sustained significant serious injuries in this. He received a broken left collar bone and broken left temporal bone over the ear and has profound loss of hearing as a consequence.

“A doctor confirmed that Mr Tomlinson had a complete paralysis in the left side of his face. His face has an appearance of being dropped and he has a box fitted in the side of his skull to assist with his hearing.”

The court heard that Mr Tomlinson had completed a five year apprenticeship to become as a machinist but his injuries prevented him continuing this and he was moved into office work. In a victim impact statement read out in court, Mr Tomlinson stated that after the incident he ‘couldn’t smile’ and that he ‘didn’t feel he could ever go out again’.

Alexander Rostron, defending, told the court that by his guilty plea, Young, who also works in the waste department for the local authority, had now lost his dream of joining the fire service.

Mr Rostron said: “He felt he was cornered by a man who was taller and bigger than him.

“He is regretful and remorseful that his actions led to the serious injuries to Mr Tomlinson. Through me he apologises for going too far in this circumstance.”

Recorder Nicholas Fewtrell said that Steven Young had ‘never intended’ his actions to result in such ‘tragic consequences’.

He told the court: “What happened is extremely unfortunate, particularly for Mr Tomlinson. It’s a throw that had terrible consequences but there is a distinction between that and a deliberate punch.

“It’s quite clear that there is some altercation as Mr Tomlinson tried to get out of the rain.

“You then physically threw him off the premises. Ordinarily that wouldn’t have resulted in significant injury.

“As you threw him he fell heavily to the ground and must have struck with some force to the left side of his head.

“I accept that you have found this almost as tragic as Mr Tomlinson because this has had some effect on you.

“I don’t believe for a moment this is ever what you intended to happen.

“You are a hard working person who keeps away from the courts and this must have been a very stressful experience, albeit one that you brought upon yourself.”

Recorder Fewtrell sentenced Young to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for two years and 100 hours of unpaid work.