A FARM worker who left a drinker with a fractured skull after punching him outside a nightclub was caught after CCTV pictures of him were issued by police.

Nathan Ockwell hit his victim sending him to the deck outside Lava Lounge in the town centre in the early hours of Sunday April 3.

But after hearing the 28-year-old had never been in trouble before or since and had been provoked a judge imposed a community order.

Hannah Squire, prosecuting told Swindon Crown Court that 22-year-old Jason Watts was leaving the Fleet Street establishment at about 2.30am when comments were exchanged between two groups of men.

"There was lots of shouting outside. Jason Watts was involved in a group. There were various terms of abuse being shouted towards women," she said.

A doorman said he then saw a man step forward and punch the victim, who went straight to the ground banging his head on the road.

He was taken to hospital where he was found to have a fractured skull and kept in for 48 hours with a bleed on the brain.

She said that he was born with a congenital condition which meant he had mild learning difficulties.

Ockwell was not arrested until more than a month later after police had launched a media appeal, releasing images from CCTV outside Lava Lounge, which were carried by the Swindon Advertiser.

When he was questioned he said that he had been there with his girlfriend, who told him that about an altercation between her and the victim inside the club.

Ockwell, of Cheney Manor Road, pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful wounding.

Rob Ross, defending, said: "Apparently something had happened in the club between Mr Ockwell's partner and Mr Watts.

"It is apparent that outside there was more trouble between her and Mr Watts to the point where on that video you see her push him away.

"Mr Ockwell is seen to some extent pushing her back. Something is said and he punches him. It is as simples as that."

He said 99 times out of 100 the punch would miss, hit a shoulder or cause no real harm, but Ockwell felled his victim who banged his head on the ground.

Mr Ross told the court his client was very sorry for what he had done and is anxious it doesn't happen again.

"He comes before the court for the very first, and almost certainly, the very last time in his life. He has never been in any trouble with the police before.

"He has worked for many years for an elderly farmer towards Shrivenham and tends pigs and cows."

Passing sentence Recorder Tim Grice said: "The one thing to emphasise is: if you hit out without thinking Mr Ross is right, quite often that is not going to have much effect. But it can have a serious effect.

"You hit out quite deliberately and there was a consequence, and that was in the range of consequences that can happen."

He imposed a one-year community order with 20 days of rehabilitation activity requirement and £250 compensation.