A MAN who was spared jail after he left a former doorman with a smashed eye socket and cheekbone during a drunken assault has had his curfew lifted.

When he passed sentence on Shaun Goff, Judge Peter Blair QC pointed out the restriction would prevent going out at night over Christmas and New Year.

But despite the 33-year-old, who has drink and anger problems, doing less than seven weeks of the three-month order it has been ended as he has accommodation problems.

Having been told by the probation service that the issues were not Goff’s fault, Judge Tim Mousley QC, sitting at Swindon Crown Court, deleted the curfew requirement.

Goff, who is still on a suspended sentence and did not attend court to hear the change being made, will now be free to go out drinking over the festive season.

Matthew Scott, for probation, said: “He has done his best.

“For reasons that have nothing to do with his fault it has become impossible for him to remain living there.”

When the night-time restriction was imposed in October he was told ‘If you do the maths, that means Christmas and New Year are in the curfew.’ Goff was living in Tennyson Street when he was spared immediate custody after admitting grievous bodily harm.

Instead he was put on a 16- month jail term, suspended for two years, with an alcohol training requirement and the curfew.

He had been out drinking in The Casbah before he punched former bouncer Paul Waby causing massive facial injuries.

When the victim managed to get up he first jumped on his back and started to throttle him and only stopped when a friend pulled him off.

And as the terrified victim ran away he chased after him shouting, ‘I'm going to kill you.’ Mr Waby had been walking home with a friend, who also knew Goff, in the early hours of Saturday, April 19 when the Goff approached him in Bridge Street.

Moments later violence broke out between Goff and Mr Waby with each saying the other started it.

It was claimed the victim had been bragging about being in the Territorial Army and serving in Afghanistan.

The mutual friend said Mr Waby had thrown the first punch but refused to make a formal statement saying so. Mr Waby did not want to come to court.

Goff landed a flurry of blows on his victim and when he tried to get away he chased and tripped him, before throttling him.

As a result of the attack Mr Waby had to undergo surgery and may always suffer pain and discomfort from the injury.