AN afternoon drinking session at a Darwen house ended in bloodshed when a 20-year-old man was knocked semi-conscious and had three front teeth broken.

But Blackburn magistrates heard that the exact cause of Carl Hamer's injuries were a mystery to everyone at the house in Sunnybank Street, on July 23.

Derek Brighty, 21, of Newchurch Close, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Hamer and was given a conditional discharge for 12 months, and ordered to pay £300 compensation and £50 costs.

But the court was told Brighty was prosecuted on the basis of a single punch which the prosecution accepted had not caused the serious injuries suffered by Mr Hamer.

Tom Snape, prosecuting, said Mr Hamer was at the house all afternoon and by 7pm was extremely drunk.

He had been making a nuisance of himself and when the owner of the property was told Mr Hamer had urinated on the settee, he was ordered to leave.

"In fact, the owner actually punched him in the face," said Mr Snape.

"Mr Hamer went into the garden and it was while he was there that Brighty also punched him in the face."

He said Mr Hamer ended up in the back street with serious injuries.

"His face was covered in blood, he semi- conscious and three of his front teeth were broken," said Mr Snape.

"The general consensus of opinion among those present is that he must have fallen in the back street and banged his face on a concrete bollard."

Deborah Hayden-Pawson, defending, said Mr Hamer had effectively been ejected from the premises when Brighty punched him once.

"No one will ever know how Mr Hamer received his injuries," she said.

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