AN ‘extremely drunk’ man punched another man, hugged him then punched him again outside McDonald’s, leaving the victim clutching his face in pain.

Worcester News:

Elias Jbilou admitted a public order offence after the assault - which he claimed to have no memory of - when he appeared before magistrates in Worcester on Thursday.

Ultimately the victim was never traced - but the CCTV footage provided enough evidence for a prosecution.

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The 20-year-old pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause that person to believe that immediate unlawful violence would be used (or to provoke such violence).

The incident happened in the early hours of December 27 last year when Jbilou of Cotswold Road, Malvern was with three other males.

Worcester News:

Liz Blacklock, prosecuting, said: “The defendant has punched one of the males to the face and this is captured on CCTV. The male, who appears to be holding his cheek in pain, has tried to walk away.

“He has tried to get into a taxi. The defendant appears to embrace him in a hug then punches him again.”

The victim was not at the scene when police arrived and had not made a complaint.

Jbilou has previous convictions in 2019 for assaults including assault occasioning actual bodily harm and battery and more recently, in 2020, for possession of a knife and an affray.

Paul Stanley, defending, said his client was ‘just 20 years of age’ and he had ‘fully admitted' the offence, 'having seen the CCTV which is him with a group of two other males he doesn’t know’.

The solicitor said the injured party had not been traced.

“Mr Jbilou, for whatever reason, embraces him and, in a short while, strikes out at him again” he said.

He said his client ‘fully admitted what he had done’ in the police interview. “All he could say is that he could not remember a great deal about it, save to say he had been extremely drunk when he committed this offence” said Mr Stanley.

Jbilou had ‘voluntarily engaged with Cranstoun’, the alcohol and drug recover service.

He had also been diagnosed as ‘being on the autistic spectrum’. Jbilou had also written a letter of apology which ‘sets out his regret for what happened and his embarrassment’.

“It echoes exactly what he had to say to the police in terms of the stupidity of what he did” said Mr Stanley.

Magistrates, who described Jbilou as having an 'unimpressive record', handed him a 12 month community order which will include 100 hours of unpaid work.

He must also pay a victim surcharge of £95 and costs of £135.