A DEVON man has been banned from every pub in his town after breaking a man's nose in an unprovoked attack

Samuel Grant, 19, was given a year's exclusion order from every pub in Newton Abbot, at Exeter Crown Court yesterday for headbutting former friend Nicholas Rushton.

Grant, of Frobisher Road, who already has a criminal record for violence, was sentenced to 51 weeks in a young offenders institution, suspended for a year.

He was also given a year's supervision and ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work in the community, after admitting assaulting Mr Rushton, occasioning him actual bodily harm.

Prosecutor Christopher Bennett said both men were drinking separately at the Jolly Farmer, Market Street, around 10pm on Friday, July 24 last year.

Rushton then went outside, where he was confronted by Grant.

Mr Bennett said: "Mr Rushton was accused of dancing with the defendant's sister.

Mr Rushton said, in a statement: "I felt severe pain. My nose seemed to explode."

"It was unprovoked," said Mr Bennett.

Defence counsel Martin Salloway said: "It was a difficult time in his life and an unpleasant piece of drunken violence.

Judge John Neligan said the attack was "gratuitous violence" but he was not sending Grant to jail, because of his good progress since.

He ordered him to pay £500 compensation to his victim and £600 costs.