A TEENAGER who left a university student seriously injured after headbutting him outside an Accrington takeaway, could be facing jail.

Oscar Connolly, 19, attacked Ben Clifton in the early hours, after he was said to have held out his hand as if to shake hands with his victim, but then pulled him towards him.

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Mr Clifton needed three CT scans and suffered a double fracture to his temple, a perforated eardrum, damage to his cranial nerve which affected his sense of taste, smell and an ongoing clicking of the jaw, Burnley Crown Court heard.

Connolly, of Willows Lane, Accrington, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm on January 5. He will be sentenced on November 10. Lisa Worsley, prosecuting, said Ben Clifton went out with friends in Accrington town centre on January 4 and described himself as drunk by 12.30am.

The group went to a takeaway and the victim was having non-aggressive and non-offensive banter with an associate of the defendant’s through the window.

Mr Clifton left and carried on having a laugh with the man. Connolly walked through the group and held out his hand as if to shake Mr Clifton' s hand.

He was then said to have grabbed the victim's hand, pulled him towards him and headbutted him.

Ms Worsley said: “That was his last recollection of events.”

Mr Clifton's friend said Connolly had been talking to the victim, saying words to the effect of: “You started on my mate.”

Ms Worsley said Mr Clifton stumbled backwards, banging his head on the takeaway window before falling to the ground.

Connolly was then said to have punched the victim while he was on the ground. Friends of Mr Clifton intervened and there was fighting between the two groups.

The prosecutor said when questioned, Connolly claimed he had had problems with Ben Clifton over a perceived insult and Mr Clifton had nudged him while he had been dancing in a club that night.

The defendant told officers he felt he had been made fun of, alleged Mr Clifton had made racial comments to his friend and he took exception to that.

Ms Worsley added: “He main-tained it was a result of Ben Clifton spitting in his face that he had felt under threat and reacted by head-butting and punching him.”

Adrian Williams, for Connolly, who was working in sales for an advertising company, accepted he had been angry and annoyed.