AN amateur footballer who broke a man’s nose in a drink-fuelled assault escaped becoming one of the first Cumbrians to get an “alcohol tag’ ­— because he works at Sellafield.

Thomas James Mahone, 25, subjected victim Sam Cruden to an unprovoked attack after a night out, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

The defendant entered a guilty plea to an assault causing actual bodily harm.

After hearing about the violence ­— and how the victim needs further surgery to repair his broken nose ­— Recorder Richard Archer imposed a suspended jail term and an alcohol tag as part of his sentence.

Such devices work by triggering an alarm if alcohol is detected in the wearer’s sweat.

But the judge lifted that part of the sentence after hearing that Sellafield bosses regarded an employee wearing the tag on the site as a “massive problem”.

Prosecutor Richard Hinnings outlined how Mahone, of Weddicar Gardens, Cleator Moor, committed the offence at Bransty Railway Station in Whitehaven, on July 31 last year.

He was part of a group of friends who refused to wear face masks as they returned to Whitehaven on the train from St Bees.

At Whitehaven, the victim ­— part of another group ­— noticed one of Mahone’s friends sitting with his head in his hands.

This prompted Mr Cruden to ask the man if he was okay, to which he replied: “Don’t talk to me like that!”

“It was at this stage that the defendant got involved,” said Mr Hinnings. Mahone waded in, twice punching Mr Cruden in the face.

“Mr Cruden fell back and his nose was bleeding straight away,” said the barrister. The victim first went A&E and then later to hospital in Carlisle for more treatment.

A few days after the attack, Mr Cruden got a Facebook message from Mahone, apologising for what happened. He said he was drunk and could not remember what happened.

Mr Hinnings said NHS doctors were unable to reset the victim’s nose to its original position and any further surgery would have to be at Mr Cruden’s own expense.

In a statement, Mr Cruden said the attack had impacted on him in “multiple ways”.

Now more anxious in public places, he socialises less and fears bumping into the defendant and his friends.

Passing sentence, Recorder Archer told Mahone he involved himself in something which was none of his business.

The judge said: “You are someone who has a quick temper and who is too quick to use your fists or react to violence. That has to stop ­— because if it doesn’t, the time will come when you go straight to prison.”

His standing in local football circles would be thrown away because such people should be role models to be looked up to, said the judge. Mahone was getting to the stage where he would be seen as nothing more than a “violent thug,” said the Recorder.

He suspended a nine-month jail term for 18 months, and imposed 25 days rehabilitation and 150 hours unpaid work. Of the tag, Recorder Archer said: “My advice to you would be to pretend or act as if you did have it on. If you were tempted to have an alcoholic drink, think to yourself ‘If I had the tag on I’d be in breach of that order’.” He must pay his victim £500 compensation.