A FORMER soldier and international boxer from Tyldesley has been jailed for an unprovoked assault of a teacher while drunk and on drugs which left him unconscious and needing 20 stitches.

James Rigby, of Maesbrook Drive, Tyldesley, was imprisoned for four months in Liverpool Crown Court on Friday after pleading guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm.

The court heard that the 20-year-old was drunk and had taken cocaine – which he confessed made him 'angry' – when he knocking out teacher Christopher Barlow with a single punch outside The Queens pub, Tyldesley, in September.

Robert Dudley, prosecuting, said: "Mr Barlow has no recollection of the incident until 'he woke up in a pool of blood being treated by paramedics'.

Barlow suffered a 2cm laceration to his lip from the punch which went all the way through into his mouth and needed 10 stitches.

He also suffered a deep laceration to the back of his head from hitting the ground as he fell, which also needed 10 stitches.

Mr Dudley informed the court that the incident happened at about 10.20pm on September 12 after Mr Barlow’s brother Damien told him that someone had slapped him.

Mr Barlow then went out of the pub to talk to the man.

CCTV footage showed Rigby pointing a finger Mr Barlow before grabbing him.

Mr Barlow managed to break free. However as he pulled away Rigby punched him in the face.

Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said that he had left the victim with numbness and scarring and he is now nervous about going out and had suffered financial loss while unable to work.

He added: “You were very drunk and it was a sustained assault. There has to be a custodial sentence.”

As Rigby, who has no previous convictions for violence, was led to the cells his mum broke down in tears in the public gallery.

Mr Barlow, who is a self-employed teacher and a volunteer football coach, said in an impact statement that he had been left physically and mentally scarred by the ordeal and was unable to work for two weeks, losing £560.

“He is concerned about football after his doctor told him to be careful because of the head injury,” said Mr Dudley.

When Rigby was arrested he said he had been in the Army for three years but left because of depression.

He had also been a boxer for five years and had competed internationally.

He said that he had gone to apologise to Mr Barlow on the night of the assault but his apology was rejected and he 'snapped' and punched him.

Tom Watson, defending, said: “He is desperately sorry for what he did.

“It was an isolated incident and he does not ordinarily behave in this way.

"It happened when things in his life were not going as he might have hoped.”

He informed the court that Rigby had little focus in his life after leaving the Army and his relationship with his girlfriend had broken down.

Mr Watson said that Rigby tried to kill himself two weeks before the incident and that night he was drunk and had taken cocaine, which he admitted makes him angry.

He has since restricted his alcohol intake and has a job waiting for him, Mr Watson added.