DRUNKEN pub customer Nicholas Cox viciously punched a man in the face in a nasty, unprovoked attack after believing the other man was staring at him, a court heard.
The victim was watching cricket on a television in a bar but Cox menacingly accused him of looking at him, Grimsby magistrates were told.
Cox, 31, of Sanctuary Way, Grimsby, admitted assaulting Christian Prestedge, causing actual bodily harm, on September 23.
The court heard that Mr Prestedge, 38, a port worker, was watching cricket at the Jubilee public house, Grimsby, but Cox thought he was staring at him.
Mr Prestedge had gone to the pub with friends for a quiz and was watching sport in the bar.
Cox asked him: "What are you looking at?" Mr Prestedge told him: "I'm looking at the cricket."
Cox said: "You're watching cricket, are you?" He accused Mr Prestedge of taking the mickey out of him and hit him in the face three times.
Blood "went everywhere" and the victim was taken to hospital for treatment to his nose and a swollen eye.
Mr Prestedge could not remember anything about the attack and did not see the blows, the court heard. He needed eight days off work.
Cox later admitted he had drunk 10 to 12 pints of beer in Cleethorpes, as well as shots, and on a scale of drunkenness rated himself at eight out 10. He later drank three or four more pints of lager, as well as more shots.
Cox had a history of violence after drinking, the court was told.
Clint Chambers, mitigating, said Cox had been out celebrating the fact that he and his partner had bought a new house.
He could not offer any real explanation as to why the incident happened, but had shown remorse.
He had been jailed in 2003 but was released in 2005 and had made good progress since then.
Cox was given a one-year supervision order, a five-week 8pm to 6am curfew and was ordered to pay £250 compensation and £85 costs.
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