A “steaming drunk” Haverfordwest man who broke another man’s eye socket purely for entertainment has been jailed for 12 months today (Tuesday).

Darren John Connolly, aged 32, landed a '60mph' punch to the face of Nigel Hewitt only because he was out for trouble and looking for someone to pick on.

Connolly, of Turberville House, High Street, had denied inflicting grievous bodily harm but had been convicted by a jury after a trial at Swansea crown court.

Today, Judge Paul Thomas said Connolly had gone onto High Street in the early hours of August 15, 2015, stripped to the waist and looking for trouble.

As he passed Mr Hewitt, a pure stranger, he pushed him off the pavement and into the roadway.

A few minutes later he ran after Mr Hewitt, a 53 year old man living in Dew Street, and delivered a blow that fractured his eye socket.

Surgeons had to rebuild the socket using a metal plate and four screws.

Because Connolly had been running downhill, they said, he had been struck his victim “a 60mph blow.”

Judge Thomas said Connolly had been angry and frustrated, which could be seen by his behaviour inside a kebab shop and caught on a CCTV camera.

“This was gratuitous violence in a public place.

“You picked on a vulnerable man, someone who was clearly older than you and who posed absolutely no threat to you.

“You cowardly picked on a man who would not be able to prevent you from punching him,” added the judge.

John Hipkin, prosecuting, said the attack had left Mr Hewitt in fear of losing his sight.

He also felt vulnerable and had not gone out at night for eight months after the assault.