A FIGHT outside a village pub ended with a middle-aged man needing about 50 stitches around his eye, Gloucester Crown Court heard.

In the dock was Blake Collins, aged 20, of Old School House, School Lane, Wick, Pershore, who admitted a charge of affray towards Dennis Casson on September 13 last year.

His denial of a charge of wounding Mr Casson during the incident outside the Fleet Inn, Twyning, was accepted by the prosecution and he was formally found not guilty.

The court heard that Collins had gone to the defence of his younger brother and hit Mr Casson during the altercation that followed.

Judge Lester Boothman sentenced Collins, a shower company worker, to do 100 hours of community punishment work and pay compensation of £150 to Mr Casson.

Mr Paul Grumbar, prosecuting, said: "The injured party was having an altercation with the defendant's younger brother in a car park at the pub.

"The defendant thought his younger brother might be in trouble and went outside. He saw his brother with the injured party and there was some sort of dispute.

Impression

"He then struck the injured party in the face.

"(The victim) did receive substantial cuts to the face which needed 50 stitches in different parts of the area around the eye.

"We accept Collins may well have been under the impression that his younger brother was under attack of some sort but the force he used was excessive." Mr Grumbar said Collins had previous convictions for common assault in 1999, drink-related assault in 2001 and common assault and threatening behaviour in January last year.

Giles Nelson, defending, said: "There has been a link between him getting drunk and being violent. To his credit he has not been in trouble since this incident.

"The most serious aspect of this case is that he struck a man who fell to the ground and knocked his head on the way down, causing this nasty injury for which the defendant is very sorry."

Passing sentence, Judge Boothman told Collins: "This is your fourth conviction for an offence of violence and you are coming close, as you must realise, to a custodial sentence if this goes on."