A TEENAGER who was left with a broken nose and damaged teeth when a colleague at an Alvechurch racing stables attacked him has spoken of the terrifying experience.

Mathew Hoverd, a stable hand from Selly Oak, was assaulted by jockey David Nolan at Dominion Racing Stables in Alvechurch last November.

Former Bromsgrove man Nolan, who now lives in York, admitted assaulting Mr Hoverd and was given an 18-month suspended sentence and ordered to pay £750 damages and £300 costs.

But Mathew said he wanted to set the record straight now the case was closed.

Nolan had previously claimed he lashed out in self-defence after Mathew hit him, but then admitted in court that the attack was unprovoked.

Mathew, an aspiring jockey, said he got on well with Nolan so had no suspicions when he approached him to ask him to look at something on his mobile phone.

"He just started hitting me, I didn't suspect anything and if I had I wouldn't have gone near him," he said.

The 19-year-old suffered a broken nose, broken lower jaw and cut to his left eyebrow. Two teeth were also knocked back.

He said a witness pulled Nolan off him and someone from the stables took him to hospital.

Nolan, who was 21, was dismissed from Dominion but Mathew said he sent him text messages apologising but never explaining why he had attacked him.

"I was off work for a week, I didn't want to go back and when I did I felt uncomfortable because his girlfriend still worked there," he added.

A police investigation culminated in Nolan being found guilty of the crime last month at Hereford Crown Court.

But Mathew's father Barrie said they were concerned he had got off lightly and was still earning good money racing horses.

"Yet Mathew is still paying the price, the treatment on his teeth could go on for a long time," he added.

Mathew said he was still concerned he might bump into Nolan but was keen to move on with his life and wanted to set the record straight so colleagues and friends would know the truth.