A TEENAGER who had been drinking punched a former friend in the face, knocking out his tooth.

Ben Case, 19, who had never been in trouble before, admitted assaulting Philip Jay McKevitt-Harvey at Senso Nightclub in Hill Street, Wrexham, one night in June.

Case, of Blackbrook Drive, Ruabon, Wrexham, was ordered to pay his victim £1,000 compensation for the pain and trauma he had been caused - and £256 for dental work.

At North East Wales Magistrates’ Court at Mold today he was excluded from all on-licensed premises in Wrexham town centre for 12 months.

He must carry out 180 hours unpaid work under a 12 month community order and pay £85 costs and a £85 surcharge.

District Judge Gwyn Jones said that in drink the defendant had punched a man he had an issue with and he suffered the loss of a front tooth.

He warned that the starting point was custody which was in the forefront of his mind.

But the defendant was a young man in full-time employment with no previous convictions who had entered an immediate guilty plea.

Prosecutor Helen Tench said that victim was punched directly to the mouth with his fist.

No words had been exchanged, both were ejected from the club, and a front tooth was missing.

The victim confirmed that the tooth had been previously damaged.

Interviewed, Case said he had been in Chester drinking, went to Wrexham, did not want to talk to the complainant who he claimed was grinning at him.

“I proper lost my temper, with no hesitation I just whacked him,” he told police.

He knew he had hit his tooth, felt it and immediately thought “I should not have done that.”

Case said he had used quite a lot of force in the heat of the moment.

Probation officer Pamela Roberts said they used to be friends, but here had been some animosity between them over an ex partner.

On reflection he knew he should have spoken to him that night, that his actions were not justified and he had expressed remorse.

Defending solicitor Bethan Jones said that her client was not the sort of young man to be in court and he was unlikely to ever trouble a court again.

There was a background, he accepted that he delivered a punch and realised that he could easily have been in court facing a more serious charge.

He had a strong work ethic and worked shifts. References showed that he was highly thought of.