A father-of-seven who launched a violent and unprovoked attack on the head of the Filipino Association has been jailed for 12 months.

Desai Jones confronted Joey Prevendido in the street and shouted “f***ing foreigners, they are taking our jobs” before repeatedly punching him in the face.

The President of the Association of Filipinos suffered a broken and dislocated jaw as a result of the assault and had to be fed through a straw for three weeks.

Jones, 40, had already pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm.

At his sentencing hearing the unemployed Sandys man claimed he had been provoked and should not be imprisoned because he had six sons and a daughter to look after.

But Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo imposed a one-year prison sentence, followed by a year’s probation.

The brutal attack took place on Elliott Street in Hamilton on May 13.

Previously Mr Prevendido told The Royal Gazette that the assault had left him afraid to go out on his own.

He said: “Now I get really paranoid when I go out, especially on my own.

“Every time I see a stranger’s face I worry that I am going to be hit again.

“I suddenly get very nervous and often I just cross the road to avoid people I don’t know.

“I’m scared to leave home now. To me it feels like Bermuda is not as safe as it used to be.”

Mr Prevendido remained in hospital for three nights following the attack.

He added: “My face was swollen up like a balloon. For a long time after I left hospital I was not able to chew. It was difficult to sleep at night and I could not lift anything in case I did further damage to my jaw.

“It just felt like my jaw was going to fall apart.”