A thug who downed 15 pints before punching a gig-goer on the dance floor with such force he stopped breathing has avoided jail.

Phillip Dagg had to be resuscitated inside the Bull Inn, Dover, after Gavin Longhurst delivered the cowardly, unprovoked blow and fled.

Longhurst, 32, claimed he was acting in self-defence but jurors saw through his lies following a trial at Canterbury Crown Court in June.

On Monday, he was handed a suspended prison sentence at the same court for the unprovoked attack in December 2018.

During the trial, jurors heard Longhurst threw a festive rock gig held at the London Road night spot into chaos after targeting Mr Dagg.

His friend Aaron Davidson pushed Mr Dagg from behind and, as he turned, Longhurst landed the unexpected blow, knocking Mr Dagg off his feet, breaking his jaw.

With the aid of a 999 call-handler, witnesses worked to perform CPR for “about 20 minutes” before paramedics took over, the trial heard.

Mr Dagg’s uncle, Colin Townley, who forms one half of Dover rock duo Cuda, told jurors he witnessed the “horrific” attack from the stage.

“(Longhurst) took two quick paces, jumped into the air and punched downwards with all his weight behind it,” he said.

“It was horrific. He went down like a sack of potatoes - he went down with some force.”

Mr Townley said he followed Longhurst and Davidson outside but they fled in a white BMW.

He told jurors when he returned to the venue: “Phillip was laying on the floor and he had stopped breathing.”

Barmaid Lauren Maddison said she and pub boss Micky Mills refused to serve Mr Dagg moments before the attack.

She said he was visibly intoxicated and “swayed” into Davidson, who became visibly irate.

“I think Mr Davidson thought Mr Dagg was being aggressive and took the wrong impression and pushed him,” she went on.

“From what I remember, Longhurst had noticed, came over and punched him in the face.”

She said Mr Dagg “went flying back and upwards,” for “about a meter.”

Longhurst, who worked as a manager in a bank at the time of the offence, argued during the trial Mr Dagg became aggressive and poised to attack Davidson.

He claimed he punched Mr Dagg only in Davidson’s defence.

'I think Mr Davidson thought Mr Dagg was being aggressive and took the wrong impression and pushed him...'

But jurors unanimously convicted Longhurst for causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Dagg after deliberating for three hours.

On Monday, Recorder Stuart Trimmer QC handed Longhurst, of Manor Road, Dover, a nine-month custodial sentence suspended for 20 months.

He told Longhurst, of previous good character, it was “a very forceful punch delivered to Mr Dagg you were very drunk"

"You said in evidence you had 15 pints that evening - there aren’t many people who could drink 15 pints and remain unaffected," he said.

He said although Mr Dagg had been acting “in an odd way” he posed “no harm” to Longhurst and Davidson.

Mr Dagg did not supply the court with a victim impact statement or give evidence during the trial.

Recorder Trimmer QC advised Phil Rowley, Longhurst’s lawyer, he was minded to suspend the sentence at a relatively early stage during mitigation.

Dressed in a blue suit, with family and friends in the public gallery, Longhurst remained passive in the dock.

Longhurst was ordered to pay Mr Dagg £3,000 compensation within 28 days and complete 120 hours of unpaid work.