THE Greenock thug who stamped on a man’s head with such force that he left a footprint on his face has narrowly avoided a jail term.

Liam Bryce — who was originally charged with endangering his victim’s life — attacked him in the street after a boozy night out.

Bryce, 22, and another man repeatedly punched and kicked their target in full view of CCTV cameras outside Greenock’s Text pub on Dalrymple Street.

Defence lawyer Aidan Gallagher told the sheriff court, pictured: “It is fortunate that the complainer did not sustain serious injury.” He added: “There had been a verbal altercation before the assault, which was directed more towards Liam Bryce.

“The other male kicked the complainer and the assault is then perpetrated.” Mr Gallagher declared that Bryce had ‘played a lesser role’ in the attack.

But Sheriff Derek Hamilton pointed out: “The stamp on the head left an imprint.” Mr Gallagher said that dad-of-one Bryce’s violence was a ‘rash and impulsive over-reaction’ which was ‘out of character’ for him.

The solicitor — who stated that Bryce ‘comes from a good family’ — added: “He has expressed genuine remorse and he bitterly regrets how he acted that night.” Bryce pled guilty on indictment last month to the attack — including stamping on the victim’s head while he was on the ground.

Prosecutors agreed to remove the ‘danger of life’ part of the charge at the time of his plea.

The court heard how Bryce had tried to flee the scene in a taxi following the 1.30am attack on 15 February last year, but the cab was intercepted by police.

Lawyer Mr Gallagher said his client was a valued employee with a full-time job providing customer care.

He added: “He has never caused bother in the past and has not been a man of violence in the past.

“This has hung over his head for almost a year now.

“If a custodial sentence was passed he would lose everything he has worked so hard to gain.

“I would ask the court to take an exceptional view in this case.” Sheriff Derek Hamilton, inset, told Bryce: “When you stamp on someone’s head a custodial sentence is almost inevitable.

“You were prosecuted on indictment for good reason. The fact that you are in employment and from a good family might be seen by some as a mitigating factor, but I do not necessarily subscribe to that view.

“It would be unfair to those who are not in employment to take that into consideration.

“In your case it is only that fact that you have no previous convictions that I can deal with this matter in a way other than jail.

“However, you now have a conviction on indictment for a very serious matter.” Bryce, of Wellyard Way in Greenock’s Braeside, was ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work and was placed on supervision within the community for 12 months.

Sheriff Hamilton said: “Hopefully this is a one-off and you have learned a lesson.”