A drunken aircraft engineer who smashed a policeman's cheekbone has to pay him £2,000.
Police attended a Yate address after a report of a domestic incident, Bristol Crown Court heard.
In the course of the visit an intoxicated and bare-chested Robert Sivers headbutted PC Trevor Radnedge, causing the serious injury.
Sivers, 34, of Sandhurst in Yate, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm.
The recorder Mr Roger Harris handed him a 20 months prison sentence suspended for two years.
He told Sivers: "Assault of a police officer is obviously a serious matter.
"There is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation in this case."
Sivers was ordered to perform 150 hours' unpaid work and undergo 12 days of rehabilitation in the next 18 months.
He was told to pay £2,000 compensation to PC Radnedge.
James Haskell, prosecuting, said police attended the Yate address and found a distressed woman on the street, who appeared to have an injured right eye.
'The defendant was significantly under the influence of alcohol'
Sivers opened the front door of the property, allowed police in, and was told he was being arrested for an alleged assault on his partner.
Mr Haskell said: "He was cautioned and put into handcuffs.
"The defendant was significantly under the influence of alcohol.
"He wanted to know why he was he was being arrested.
"He was wearing no clothes on his top half and an officer grabbed a top to throw over his shoulders."
With that Sivers headbutted PC Radnedge to the head, the court heard.
Mr Haskell said: "The Crown says that was a deliberate act but there was no intention to cause the serious injury that followed.
"PC Radnedge heard a crunching sound and he was immediately in pain.
"He managed to restrain the defendant."
Sivers told police he had had a lot to drink, he was drunk and he couldn't remember what happened.
PC Radnedge sustained a fractured left surgery, underwent surgery five days later and was off work recovering for seven weeks.
He made an impact statement saying the resultant operation left him with a scar on the side of his head.
Martha Smith-Higgins, defending, said he remorseful client volunteered work with football organisations and arranged charity events.
She said his job remained open to him, but prison would risk the loss of his family home and have a devastating effect on his partner and children.
