A TEENAGER who fractured his victim’s skull in two places with a single punch has avoided jail.

Edward Pettitt, 19, felled his victim with a punch to the right side of his head, which knocked him to the floor and left him unconscious on the pavement outside the Haystack Pub, in Furtherwick Road, Canvey.

Just minutes before the attack, the 27-year-old victim had been punched in the face by another man, in a completely unrelated attack, and had fallen on to Pettitt’s cousin.

Pettitt wrongly thought his cousin had been injured, followed his victim outside and, without warning, punched him as he stood with the pub’s doorman.

Almost six months on from the attack, the victim is still suffering from hearing problems and has tinnitus, described as continual ringing in the ears.

Pettitt, a trainee landscape gardener, admitted one count of grievous bodily harm when he appeared at Basildon Crown Court yesterday.

Prosecutor Frances Coles- Harrington said: “Pettitt could see his cousin had blood on her arms and thought it was her blood. She wasn’t crying, but looked quite scared and shaken up.

“He didn’t ask her what happened, but simply followed his victim outside.

“He said he went outside to talk, but he said ‘I lost my temper, I don’t knowwhy. I saw a red mist, I don’t know why and I feel bad. I shoudn’t have done it’.”

The court heard Pettitt, who was celebrating his brother’s engagement, had drunk seven Jack Daniels and cokes and had been with more than 20 family and friends, including his mum and dad. Aisha Khan, mitigating, handed the judge four character references and said this behaviour was completely out of character for Pettitt, who had no previous convictions.

She said that he had been saving up money to pay his victim compensation and was particularly protective over his cousin, whose dad had died.

She added: “He is racked with guilt, shame and remorse.”

Pettitt, who cried after being given an 18-month sentence suspended for two years, was supported in court by his parents and his girlfriend.

Recorder Elroy Claxton said: “Your punch could have had far, far worse consequences. Your punch could have ended in fatality.”

Pettitt was also ordered to pay £500 compensation, £450 court costs, a £100 victim surcharge and to do 150 hours of unpaid work.