A MAN who broke a grandfather’s jaw in three places when the victim “brought trouble to his door” has been given a suspended prison sentence.

In his personal statement, the granddad said the incident had left him too scared to stay in York so he had left the city where he had spent most of his life. He said he had had to have major surgery twice and would suffer permanently from numbness in his face and other effects of his injuries.

Annie Richardson, prosecuting, said the victim had started the incident by banging with a metal bar type of wrench on the front door of the York house where Clayton Shepherdson was visiting.

She said of Shepherdson: “When trouble came to his door, he came out of the house and there was a fight and it ended with the defendant hitting (the granddad) causing him injuries.”

The Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris told Shepherdson: “You are not a man of violence, you are a decent man, always in work, and everyone speaks incredibly highly of you.”

But there had to be a prison sentence to deter others from getting involved in fights.

He passed an eight-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months on condition Shepherdson does 200 hours’ unpaid work.

Shepherdson, 23, of Waterman Court, Acomb, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm recklessly.

The judge refused to order him to pay compensation to the granddad.

“The consequences of this have been terrible for the complainant,” he told York Crown Court. “He ought to think about it, that if he hadn’t gone round there (to the house) armed, he would never have had these problems in the first place.”

The granddad had pushed a neighbour backwards after they had tried to intervene after he banged on the door.

He had walked back to his car and then Shepherdson, concerned about the safety of others, had come out and hit the granddad and the two had fought, said the judge.

Mrs Richardson said the granddad had put the wrench down before fighting with Shepherdson.

Defence barrister Rachel Webster said Shepherdson had felt “targeted and intimidated by the victim who is 20 years older than him” and been trying to protect his girlfriend who was in the house.

The victim had “threatened to kill the defendant and he (the defendant) was blamed for the victim’s relationship ending.”

He was very remorseful and had written a letter of apology.

Mrs Richardson said the granddad had wrongly thought a former partner was wanting to rekindle their relationship.

So he had gone to the house where Shepherdson and others were, to speak to the former partner.

“It is right to say he thought there may be trouble,” she said. “He had got out of the car and took a metal type bar wrench.”

The grandfather had then struck the door.

In his personal statement, the victim outlined months of pain and medical problems as a result of his injuries that had included twice having plates inserted into his mouth and being on a soft diet unable to chew for long periods of time.

He said he had had to miss many days work without pay and is on a two-year waiting list to have a tooth damaged in the incident dealt with.