A “PARANOID” man suffering from delusions broke a stranger’s nose with one punch and ran away laughing.

Alan Mariano punched Keith Harris in the nose and broke it during the assault in London Road, Worcester.

The 38-year-old of Kilbury Drive, Worcester admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and was sentenced at Worcester Crown Court on Thursday.

John Brotherton, prosecuting, said Mr Harris had been walking his dog and was heading home when he became aware of Mariano.

Mr Harris had seen him several times before but did not know him and described him as ‘muttering to himself’ and making it difficult for him to pass by.

“He found it bizarre and assumed the defendant had mental health issues” said Mr Brotherton.

Before the assault on April 10, 2015 Mr Harris had been listening to music on headphones.

Mr Brotherton said: “He became aware of somebody over his right shoulder. As he turned to look he was punched by the defendant. That punch caused his nose to bleed.

"The defendant is seen to run away from the scene and is seen to be laughing as he’s running away.”

Mariano was arrested on April 15, 2015 and taken to Worcester Police Station where he claimed the complainant had attacked him first.

Mr Harris attended A&E at Worcestershire Royal Hospital where he was diagnosed with a fracture of the nasal bones and developed a black eye later on.

Mariano has two previous convictions for battery in 2006 and 2010. Mr Brotherton said the ABH was a single punch and not a sustained attack.

Sukhdev Bisla, defending, apologised on Mariano’s behalf for him not attending court sooner, saying he ‘gets confused with dates’.

His client was arrested on Wednesday on a bench warrant after he failed to attend court.

Mr Bisla said: “Mr Mariano believes the complainant attacked him first. This is consistent with some of the delusions Mr Mariano suffers from as a result of his paranoid schizophrenia.”

Mariano was diagnosed with the condition in 1999 when he lived in Lisbon. He has been receiving injections in Worcester to treat the illness and remains under the care of a community psychiatric nurse.

Judge Daniel Pearce-Higgins QC gave Mariano credit for his early guilty plea but said he had been smoking ‘too much dope’.

He said: “It was a nasty assault, unprovoked and unpremeditated.”

He imposed a 12 month community order which he said was a way of both addressing his mental health problems and his use of cannabis which was exacerbating his illness.

Judge Pearce-Higgins imposed no separate penalty for breach of bail.

Mariano was ordered to attend court on June 23 for a review.