A nightclub bouncer from Gloucestershire is facing jail being found guilty of pushing his walkie-talkie into a student's face so hard it caused his eyeball to explode.

Martin White, 26, of Thornbury, drove the walkie-talkie into the eye of a law student who had fallen asleep in a club after celebrating his end of exams.

White was convicted at Bristol Crown Court of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

David Lowe, 25, was celebrating the end of his legal practice course exams at Bristol's University of the West of England in the city's Lizard Lounge nightclub in 2002.

Drunk and tired, the student and former county cricketer was asked to leave by bouncers as he kept falling asleep. He failed to obey their instructions and the jury heard how he annoyed bouncers White and his colleague Robert Handford.

Handford began dealing with the drunk student 'reasonably well' by trying to stand him up and get him out. White then became involved and as Mr Lowe lay drunk on the floor, White rammed his heavy walkie-talkie into the student's eye, the jury heard.

White grabbed Mr Lowe in a headlock before driving the walkie-talkie into his eye.

Robert Davies, prosecuting, said this 'completely unnecessary action' caused the eyeball to explode and the lens to eject from the eye.

White then dragged Lowe by the belt and leg over steps and carpet out of the club 'like a bag of old rubbish'. An eyewitness said she saw a man being 'bounced down the steps aggressively'.

White then verbally threatened and swore at Mr Lowe. Two other bouncers then helped to get him out on to the pavement.

Mr Lowe needed four hours of surgery and lost his sight in his left eye.

FOR more Bristol, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Dorset and Wiltshire news, order a regular copy of the Sunday Independent. FIRST. BEST. EVERY SUNDAY...