A Bristol man who drank eight pints of lager before kicking a pedestrian in the head has walked free from court.

Ricky Fugill turned violent in Bristol's Park Street when his victim bumped into the girlfriend of a friend he was with.

The 20-year-old delivery driver's mate, of Conygre Grove, Filton, repeatedly punched Jack Puddon and kicked him in the back of his head after he fell to the street.

The defendant, who is of previous good character, was traced by CCTV operators and arrested by police.

He later pleaded guilty to a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and was handed a community order with a four-month curfew from 8pm to 5am and told to carry out 80 hours' unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay his victim, who suffered a black eye, a bloody nose and grazes, £250 compensation, and £150 towards prosecution costs.

Ruth Armstrong, prosecuting at Bristol Crown Court, told how Mr Puddon was walking down Park Street at 3am on February 1 when he was attacked after passing the defendant and a group of friends and accidentally bumping into someone's girlfriend.

"Mr Puddon apologised and the group swore at him and he apologised again and walked away," she said.

"He received four to five punches to the head and fell to the floor, and saw his friend being hit.

"He thought he then received kicks to the head. CCTV footage shows one kick to the back of his head.

"The injuries caused were a lump to the right eye, a bloody nose and grazes to the elbows and knees. He suffered headaches and dizziness, and ringing in the ears.

"His friend suffered similar injuries but there were no witnesses."

She said the defendant was caught because his role was captured on CCTV and the operator tracked him through the streets and informed police.

In police interview, Fugill said he had retaliated and went over the top.

Caroline Harvey, defending, said her client had acted out of character and had lost control after drinking too much.

Sentencing Fugill, Judge James Tabor QC said: "You are a young man who has not been in trouble before. You owned up as quickly as you could. You are in work and I accept this is completely out of character. Those four factors save you from going to prison today.

"On the other side there's violence inflicted by yourself. You got yourself completely drunk and drank over eight pints of lager. You were fighting-mad and uncontrollable. Worse still, you kicked your victim in the back of the head. That's cowardly.

"The public are just fed up with young men filling themselves up with alcohol, and coming out fighting and turning the streets into areas they would rather not go. The message must be this will not be tolerated."