A MAN punched a woman twice in the face after she jumped the queue at a bar.
Samuel Whitehead, 20, of Myrtle Avenue, Halifax, also hit a doorman who came to her rescue.
He admitted assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Bradford Crown Court heard Whitehead had been drinking with his rugby team in Halifax si
nce 4pm on the day of the attack.
That evening he and his friends went to Jumpin' Jaks nightclub, Halifax.
Nigel Hamilton, prosecuting, said at about midnight Whitehead had gone to the bar to get more drinks and an argument broke out because he thought the woman had pushed in front.
He said she walked away but returned and poured a pint over his head.
"The defendant became enraged. He pushed her in the face with his hand and then punched her twice.
"One witness described this as being with such force that her head ricocheted backwards."
She suffered a suspected fractured left cheekbone and swelling. When the doorman approached Whitehead he said "Do you want some?" and punched the doorman on the nose.
Rebecca Hirst, for Whitehead, described the attack as impulsive and reactive.
"It was an incident wholly out of character, when drinking to excess."
She said that Whitehead, who was 19 at the time and has no previous convictions, was ashamed and embarrassed at his actions.
Recorder Peter Babb sentenced him to a 12 months community order and 180 hours of unpaid work.
Whitehead, who is unemployed, will also have to pay £250 in compensation.
The full article contains 261 words and appears in Evening Courier newspaper.
