A young man captured on CCTV delivering a heavy boxer-style punch in Wrexham town centre in the early hours has been jailed.

Jack Wynne, 20, of Long Lane in Brynteg, Wrexham, had no previous convictions.

But at 4am on June 1 in Brook Street he could be seen on footage played at Mold Crown Court yesterday to pull his arm back and punch victim Theo Rao to the face, fracturing his jaw in two places.

It was alleged he later appeared pleased with himself and could be seen mimicking punches as he walked away.

Judge Rhys Rowlands rejected a suggestion he should impose a suspended sentence.

“Try as I might, I’m afraid I’m unable to do so.

“The message simply has to go out that drunken violence at night on the streets which results in serious injury has to lead to an immediate custodial sentence, whatever the background of the perpetrator,” the judge said.

Judge Rowlands said heavy boxer-type punches thrown entirely without warning “could have truly tragic consequences”.

Wynne admitted assault causing grievous bodily harm and received a 12-month sentence in a youth offender institute.

He was told if he had been convicted after a trial he would have received 18 months.

Barrister Simon Mills, prosecuting, said victim Mr Rao was initially punched by another person and could be seen remonstrating within a crowd of mainly young people.

Wynne was not involved and could be seen having a cigarette.

But he then, without warning, threw a heavy punch, which caused a very serious injury.

The victim needed surgery under general anaesthetic for two fractures to the lower jaw when metal bars were fixed.

Mr Rao had numbness to the lower lips which he was told could possibly be permanent, although it had improved.

In the early stages his bite had been altered. 

The victim has been told he might need future surgery.

In a victim impact statement, he told how he continued to suffer pain and discomfort and was worried that some of his symptoms might not resolve themselves.

He was depressed, had sleeping problems and vertigo and had reduced his working hours.

Defence barrister Matthew Curtis said his client was a young man of no previous convictions who had acted entirely out of character.

He was working through an agency and was planning to return to college to complete his course to qualify as a fitness instructor.

The assault happened four days after his 20th birthday, which explained why he was out in the town centre after consuming alcohol.

He was ashamed and remorseful and he had told the probation officer he was devastated by what he had done.

Mr Curtis said: “He wishes that he had just walked away.”

The barrister suggested a suspended sentence.

Judge Rowlands said Mr Rao, an older man out with friends, had been the victim of an attack by another individual.

“He was punched for no reason at all,” he said.

Understandably, that upset him and instead of leaving the area he remained and could be seen seemingly remonstrating with others, wanting to know why he had been hit.

“The initial assault was nothing to do with you,” the judge told Wynne. “You can be seen hanging around and having a cigarette.”

But he ended up close to Mr Rao, slightly behind him and to the left.

“Fortunately, what happened next, is seen on the footage,” the judge said.

Wynne pulled his arm back and without warning, in “a totally cowardly way”, delivered a very forceful punch which struck him to the side of the face.

“I have no doubt you left feeling quite pleased with what you had done, although you regret it now in the cold light of day.

“He [Mr Rao] was left bleeding from the mouth and he sustained fractures to both sides of his lower jaw.”

It was a heavy, boxing type punch thrown entirely without warning of the kind one would expect to see “thrown in the ring”.