Mansfield man knocked out fellow reveller in nightclub by stamping on his head
A Mansfield man who knocked out a fellow reveller on a dance floor by stamping on his head later told police, “I didn’t hit him that hard,” a court has heard.
Brandon Higgs shoved the man over in Starz 21, on Leeming Street, and stamped on him at around 2.15am on August 16, said Lynn Bickley, prosecuting.
His victim, who had been out with friends "without any problems," couldn't remember what happened afterwards.
CCTV showed he was unconscious for at least two minutes, but didn't report any other ill effects from the attack.
Higgs was arrested and made immediate admissions to the police, saying: "I was upset. I sparked him out. I didn't hit him that hard."
The court heard he has a single previous conviction dating back to January 2016.
Mark Stocks, mitigating, said there had been an incident on the dancefloor and the defendant “saw red,” but agreed the assault was not justified.
He said Higgs, an HGV driver, was a “constructive and contributing member of society” and should be treated as a man of "effective good character”.
Higgs, aged 26, of Nottingham Road, Mansfield, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
“You were in a public place and while we accept the attack was not premediated and it was short-lived, it was an appalling assault and unacceptable,” the presiding magistrate told him.
Higgs received a 12 month community order with 132 hours of unpaid work, reduced from 200 hours because of his prompt guilty pleas.
He was ordered to pay £250 compensation to his victim, a £114 surcharge and £85 costs.