A MAN who carried out a "fearsome" assault on another man has been warned he will go to prison if he offends again.

Liam O'Reilly, 27, rained a barrage of blows on his victim, leaving him with injuries, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

O'Reilly was given a suspended prison sentence by Judge David Hatton QC after he was told he had got a job and his new employers thought highly of him.

O'Reilly, of North Dean Avenue, Keighley, carried out the attack shortly after midnight on New Year's Eve last year.

Prosecutor David McGonigal said the complainant received a text message from a woman neighbour, asking him to call round to her house. The defendant, who he knew, was there and had his head in his hands and appeared to be crying.

Mr McGonigal said there was a conversation between the two men and an altercation occurred.

O'Reilly attacked the complainant, throwing a number of punches to his body. The victim turned to protect himself and was hit about the head, ribs and arm. He tried to stop his attacker but was unable to do so.

After the attack, O'Reilly left the house. First aid was given to the victim and he was taken to hospital for treatment. He suffered "reasonably severe" bruising, but no permanent injury.

Mr McGonigal said the complainant was more anxious and less trusting than he was before the attack.

O'Reilly pleaded guilty, on the day of trial, to assault causing actual bodily harm.

The court heard he had previous convictions for assaulting a police constable, battery, and assault causing actual bodily harm when he threatened a woman and pushed her over.

Mr McGonigal said it was a serious assault against a defenceless person.

O'Reilly's solicitor advocate, Keith Allen, said his client had been offered a full-time contract by his employers, who wanted to put him through his driving test to make him more useful. He had demonstrated his work ethic.

Mr Allen said O'Reilly took up boxing as a child but had not continued with it.

"You can see now he does not train and hasn't for years," Mr Allen said.

Judge Hatton commented: "He still knows how to pack a punch."

Judge Hatton told O'Reilly: "This was a fearsome assault in which you inflicted a barrage of blows on your victim, causing him unpleasant injuries."

He said the offence was committed in drink, but O'Reilly was emotionally strained at the time.

But the judge added: "You are now in good employment. Your employers think highly of you and are anxious to keep you and progress your employment."

He sentenced O'Reilly to nine months imprisonment, with a further month for breach of a conditional discharge, suspended for a year, with 120 hours unpaid community work and a 15-day activity requirement.