THUG Daniel Riordan was jailed for two-and-a-half years after an appeal judge ruled an earlier suspended sentence for a vicious attack on a man outside a pub was too lenient.

London's Criminal Court of Appeal today heard  Riordan, 30, of New Road, Bromham, was wearing steel-capped boots when he savagely punched and kicked a helpless victim outside a Bristol pub in September 2013.

He was given a two-year suspended jail term at Bristol Crown Court on March 2 despite his guilty plea to causing grievous bodily harm with intent. He was also ordered to pay £1,000 compensation to his victim, Wayne Longney, who needed a metal plate inserted in his jaw, and to do 300 hours unpaid work.

But the Attorney-General, Jeremy Wright QC, referred the case to the appeal court, claiming Riordan's punishment was far too soft.

Three senior judges agreed with him and jailed Riordan for two-and-a-half years today.

The court heard Riordan attacked Mr Longney outside the Pegasus pub, in Greystoke Avenue, Southmead, Bristol, on September 9 2013, Lord Justice Pitchford told the court.

He was drinking with work colleagues in the pub when Mr Longney came in about 9pm.

The victim was described as an older man, wearing glasses, with a mild learning disability and much smaller than his attacker.

The court heard Mr Longney tried to sell Riordan a watch and it transpired that he had sold a similar timepiece to the thug in the past.

After complaining that the watch had stopped working, Riordan ushered his victim out of the pub to continue their conversation.

When they were outside, Riordan threw a 'considered, heavy punch with such force it propelled him across the width of the pavement', the judge said.

Wearing his steel-capped work boots, he aimed a kick at Mr Longney's face while he was helpless on the ground and followed up with another punch.

Riordan was arrested later in the pub and gave no comment to police - although he offered to pay for the victim's glasses.

Mr Longney sought help in a nearby shop and was taken to Southmead Hospital with injuries around his right eye, and to his nose and cheek.

His jaw was swollen and his lip cut. An x-ray revealed multiple fractures of his jaw and he had to have emergency surgery and a metal plate inserted.

Two of his teeth also had to be removed. Lord Justice Pitchford said Mr Longney was in 'severe pain' for a long time and left 'frightened' and 'anxious'.

The judge, sitting with Mr Justice Walker and Mr Justice Wyn Williams, agreed with the Attorney General that Riordan's original suspended sentence was 'unduly lenient'

He told the court: "In our judgement, the starting point could not have been less then five years custody for an offence of this nature'.

Given his guilty plea and other mitigation, including unpaid work he had already performed, his new sentence was set at two and a half years.

Riordan was ordered to surrender to custody at Bristol police station by 4pm today.