Boozy thug thought he was fighting three men when he punched lone man in Mansfield

Jeffrey Robert Mayes, 31, of Bowne Street, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

CCTV captured Mayes attacking the man outside the After Dark club, on Leeming Street, at around 1.30am on September 3.

In interview Mayes told police: “What are you supposed to do when three men are starting on you?” said Neil Hollett, prosecuting.

Mayes told police he couldn’t remember the incident and, on a scale of one to ten of drunkeness, was a ‘nine.’

“He was shown the CCTV and accepted he was the aggressor,” said Mr Hollett.

The court heard his victim sustained a 2cms cut above his left eye which needed stitches at King’s Mill Hospital, as well as grazes and bruises.

Mary Dixon, mitigating, said: “He can’t remember what on earth the argument was about. It is one of those incomprehensible things that happen when people are in drink.”

She said Mayes worked as a builder and had been out with a friend who was home from the army.

His partner would struggle to pay the rent if he was imprisoned, Miss Dixon added.

Cheryl Nisbett, of the probation service, said the offence happened in identical circumstances to an earlier conviction for violence in the town centre.

Mayes was sent to prison for 20 weeks, suspended for 12 months.

He was ordered to undertake a ten day course to tackle his use of alcohol and a six day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He was also ordered to pay £250 compensation to his victim, costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £115.