Michael Robert Connor (26), who moved to England in December last year knowing he was due in court in Jersey on 3 January, was also fined £500 and ordered to pay £1,210 in compensation to his victim.
Outlining the case in the Magistrate’s Court, police legal adviser Lauren Hallam said that at about 11.30 pm on 23 September 2017 an argument broke out between a group of people in the Royal Square.
CCTV footage showed the defendant punching the victim, who fell over a bin and banged his head on the ground, the court heard.
Miss Hallam said that the victim sustained a wound to the back of his head and bruising to various places. Connor said that he was not drunk and had only committed the offence in retaliation after being punched by a member of the group.
When he was taken to police headquarters, he was found in possession of ecstasy and cannabis. It was accepted that the drugs were for personal use.
Advocate Francesca Pinel, defending, said that Connor went to live in the UK when he knew he should have stayed in Jersey pending sentence.
She said that her client knew he had to serve his sentence in order to move forward and will return to the UK after his release.
The lawyer submitted that the situation ‘turned into a melee’ and there was medical evidence that showed injuries sustained by both the victim and the defendant were consistent with being involved in a fight.
Relief Magistrate David Le Cornu told the defendant the court had repeatedly warned that street violence would not be tolerated. Connor had also admitted a charge of contempt of court for not turning up earlier in the year, but no separate penalty was imposed.
