The victim spent a week in hospital
A man who broke another man's jaw in an unprovoked attack has avoided jail but must pay his victim €7,500.
The victim Adam Morris spent a week in hospital and required surgery to fix his jaw with permanent metal plates.
Alan Gilsenan (26) of Jobstown, Tallaght, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of assault causing harm to Mr Morris on July 20 2014 at Show Nightclub, Belgard Road, Tallaght.
Garda Robert Stokes told Úna Tighe BL, prosecuting, that Mr Morris arrived at the nightclub at 12 am and was speaking with friends when he met Gilsenan, whom he thought was acting aggressively.
Mr Morris went downstairs and stopped to speak with another friend when he felt an impact to the side of his face and fell backwards. His friend told him a man had hit him and run back upstairs.
Gilsenan was identified using publicity photographs taken of visitors to the nightclub.
Counsel for the accused told Judge Martin Nolan that Gilsenan, who has a small number of previous convictions for minor road traffic offences, was undergoing anger management therapy and had written a letter to Mr Morris to express his remorse.
Judge Nolan took Gilsenan's guilty plea, cooperation with gardaí and good record into account and suspended a three year jail term in full. He ordered that within 18 months Gilsenan pay €7,500 to Mr Morris and enter a bond of €100 to keep the peace for three years.
By Declan Conlon