A YOUNG farmer from Highampton broke a fellow member's jaw after a long standing feud between the Devon and Cornwall groups flared into violence at the end of a social meeting, Exeter Crown Court heard last week.

Thomas Richards was unhappy because he had been hit with a crutch during a function the year before and a minor scuffle inside the event blew up again as members were leaving.

There was tension between farmers from either side of the Tamar which came to a head at the meeting at Sourton, near Okehampton last summer.

Richards clashed with victim Jake Crabb, who came from the other side of the border at Altarnun, near Launceston.

He needed a plate fitted in his broken jaw and spent weeks on a liquid diet after being hit by a single punch, the court was told.

Richards, aged 23, of West Lydcott Farm, Highampton, admitted causing grievous bodily harm and was jailed for ten months, suspended for two years, ordered to pay £1,000 compensation, and to do 200 hours unpaid community work by Recorder Mr Paul Grumbar.

Mr Grumbar told Richards: 'You have come very close to losing your liberty. A single blow that floors a man can very often result in a fractured skull and sometimes with people dying.

'You have been in contact with the victim and it is an enormous credit to him that you have come to an understanding and this trouble has finally been put to bed.

'The references show you are otherwise a responsible, hard working and serious minded young man and show this offence was completely out of character.'

Miss Eleanor Purkis, prosecuting, said the assault happened on April 26 last year after an annual young farmers' club event at Sourton.

She said: 'The event involved young farmers including those from Cornwall and there had been an ongoing dispute between the farmers from Devon and Cornwall and problems in the past.'

She said the victim had just left the event when he was punched once in the face and knocked unconscious. He was taken to hospital by a friend and found to have a fractured jaw.

He needed several visits to hospital and lost £1,000 in wages through being unable to work.

Mr Rupert Taylor, defending, said Richards had been involved in an incident at a previous event at which he said he had been hit by a crutch carried by a friend of the victim.

He said at the 2014 meeting there had been words exchanged and some pushing which formed the backdrop to the assault.

He said: 'It was a single blow which was not intended to cause the level of injury which was sustained. There was no follow-up violence. Since this happened he has been in touch with the victim by Facebook and has apologised.'

'There was an immediate expression of contrition and he accepts he behaved very badly.'