Victim Lee Davis told police the attack by Anthony Boyle took place as he returned home from the Metalworks pub after a night out in Shirebrook with friends.

Prosecutor Helen Griffiths told Chesterfield magistrates on Wednesday: "He says he was speaking to a girl he knows and wanted to ask her for a cigarette when the defendant started mouthing things at him."

Mrs Griffiths said Boyle (18) accused Mr Davis of 'mixing' with his younger sister. Mr Davis denied this and Boyle walked up to him and floored him with a punch to his nose.

"The complainant says he put his hands in front of his face to protect himself from further blows," she said. "The defendant walked away but then went back and stamped on his face.

"A number of eye witnesses say the defendant punched him and then kicked him in the head three times. The defendant told police he recalled punching him in the face but little else."

Boyle, of Thoresby Avenue, who admitted carrying out the assault on 1st August, had a previous conviction for damaging property in November.

The bench locked him up for four months, saying it was an unprovoked and sustained attack in public, in which he stamped on his victim's face and kicked him while he was on the ground.

Said Caroline Clarke, in mitigation: "He says his behaviour was out of character and he was being over-protective towards his sister.

"He understood that Mr Davis, who is 23, had been spending time with her. He confronted him in drink and lost control and struck him in the face.

"He doesn't normally drink much but his friends had encouraged him to drink that evening. He saw Mr Davis the day after the incident and apologised to him."