A FATHER who threw a single punch at a scooter enthusiast, fracturing his left temple and causing him brain damage, has been jailed for two years.

Taxi driver Philip Hancock woke up in hospital three weeks after he was floored by 46-year-old Robert Lambert outside the Fairmile pub in Christchurch.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard Lambert, of Rutland Road, Christchurch, struck Mr Hancock with a “haymaker” punch for the way he was dancing to a ska band inside the pub on May 2, 2010.

The court heard Lambert had taken exception to Mr Hancock and fellow members of the Renegade Scooter Club taking part in some “wrecking” dancing, which consists of people bumping into one another.

A dispute started and spilled outside the pub. Other members of the scooter club intervened but Lambert approached Mr Hancock and punched him to the side of his head causing him to fall to the floor, the court heard.

Megan Topliss, prosecuting, said Mr Hancock was sedated for three weeks and spent a total of six and a half weeks in hospital for what doctors described as a skull fracture with a significant traumatic brain injury. He suffers some memory lapses.

She said Mr Hancock had been forced to take a significant period of time off work and the offence had an impact on his family.

His wife said he was a “different person” after the attack and friends described him as “vacant”.

She added: “He has had to learn to do stuff that he should know again.”

Lambert had been convicted of causing grievous bodily harm following an earlier trial, the court was told.

Brian Sharman, representing Lambert, said his client perceived the atmosphere outside the pub as “intimidating”.

During his trial Lambert said he punched Mr Hancock in self defence.

He added: “He is terribly, terribly sorry for what happened and nowhere in his make up did he come across as the sort of man that gets drunk and bashes people in pubs.

“This is not the sort of man who would go up and assault another man for no good reason.

“If the blow had landed slightly differently, if the victim had fallen slightly differently it could have been over and done with and the police may never been involved.”

Sentencing Lambert to two years in prison, Judge John Harrow said: “If you hit someone hard in the head you have to face the consequences of what happened.”