An Ipswich man who left another man with serious facial injuries after kicking him in the face like “a goalkeeper taking a free kick” has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Luke Schofield was crouching over after being kicked on the knee by someone else when Bradley Clutten approached him and kicked him “square” in the face, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

As a result of the kick, which a witness described as being like a goalkeeper taking a free kick, Mr Schofield suffered a fracture to his eye socket and a broken nose, said Peter Gair, prosecuting.

Clutten, 20, of Wilkinson Drive, Ipswich, admitted assaulting Mr Schofield causing him actual bodily harm in August last year and was given a 16-month prison sentence suspended for two years and ordered to do 240 hours’ unpaid work.

He was also given a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement and ordered to pay £5,600 compensation in the next nine months to Mr Schofield.

Judge Emma Peters also banned him from going to licensed premises within a mile radius of the Buttermarket shopping centre in Ipswich for nine months.

Sentencing Clutten, Judge Peters said Mr Schofield had been defenceless due to the earlier injury to his knee when he was kicked in the face by Clutten.

Mr Gair said that prior to the attack on Mr Schofield there had been an incident in Unit 17 in Cardinal Park, Ipswich, between Clutten’s group of friends and Mr Schofield’s group.

The two groups met up in the area of Cromwell Square and Mr Schofield had been kicked in the knee by someone else before being kicked in the face by Clutten.

Peter Spary, for Clutten, who has no previous convictions, said the offence was out of character and had been committed in an “absolute moment of madness.”

He said that after leaving Unit 17 the two groups had gone off to buy food and hadn’t been looking for each other.

He said the injury to Mr Schofield’s knee had been caused by someone else and it was while he was crouching down he was kicked in the face by Clutten.

Mr Spary said Clutten had expressed genuine remorse and accepted his behaviour had been disgraceful.