A 27-year-old man has been jailed for ten months for an assault occasioning actual bodily harm on another man in a bar.
Dean Alexander Hamilton, of Gosheden Cottages, on the Ardmore Road outside Derry admitted the one charge that occurred on February 11, 2017.
The court was shown CCTV footage of the incident which showed the defendant and the injured party in the bar.
The defendant can be seen talking with the injured party and then becoming annoyed, pulling off his hoodie and attacking the man with a flurry of punches.
The court was told that Hamilton hit the injured party with about ten punches and was still trying to hit him as bar staff intervened.
The next day the injured man went to hospital where he received six stitches in his right eye and nine in his left.
He also had two teeth loosened and cuts to his lips.
The court heard Hamilton attended the Strand Road Police Station voluntarily, and when shown the CCTV admitted it was him.
He said that there had been some sectarian abuse directed at him but a prosecutor said that this was not accepted.
He told police he had consumed 15 pints and some vodka and coke, before adding: “My head just went, I had drink in.”
Defence barrister, Stephen Mooney said his client offered 'his sincere apologies' for what had occurred.
He said that there was no attempt to justify what had happened and added that the offence was not premeditated.
The barrister said that at least the assault had only involved punches and there had been no kicking.
Passing sentence Judge Philip Babington said that Hamilton had had 'an enormous amount of drink'.
He said the CCTV showed that when he was attacked the injured party was bent back across railings and was 'helpless.'
He said it was bad enough that Hamilton had attacked the man but he had tried to continue the assault even when bar staff had intervened.
As regards the alleged sectarian remarks the judge said they may or may not have been said but it did not matter.
Judge Babington said: “It was a vicious assault and there was no justification for this conduct.'
He said such behaviour was 'totally unacceptable' and jailed Hamilton for 10 months.
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