A CHEF who brutally attacked a man twice his age has been banned from Bristol city centre at night for a year.

Richard Withy, 23, made an inappropriate comment to a woman before punching 50-year-old Mark James to the ground on Park Street, Bristol Crown Court was told.

He continued to punch his unconscious victim three to four times and the incident was captured on CCTV.

Withy, of Vassall Road, Fishponds, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The recorder Mr Ian Pringle QC told him: "In the early hours of May 12 you no doubt were blind drunk and managed to get yourself into a quite unnecessary fight with Mr James. He was 50, twice your age. You viciously assaulted him and I have no doubt at all the offence must be marked with a prison sentence."

The recorder gave Withy a nine-month jail term, suspended for two years, and ordered that he be excluded from a defined area of the city centre for a year from 8pm to 7am. Withy was told to pay his victim £250 compensation in the next six months.

Nadeem Aullybocus, prosecuting, said Mr James and a friend had chatted to the woman before Withy approached and made a lewd comment to her.

After Mr James tried to get him away Withy punched him to the side of his head, knocked him over, and continued the assault on the ground, the court heard. Mr James suffered bruising and swelling to his face and cuts inside his lip and received hospital treatment.

When police tracked Withy down he claimed CCTV would show he was struck first, Mr Aullybocus said, but then gave "no comment" answers when interviewed.

Richard Shepherd, defending, said: "Nothing I can say will minimise how distasteful it is to witness street violence whilst in drink."

Mr Shepherd said his client pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, the attack was not pre-meditated, no weapons were used and no permanent injury was caused. He said Mr James had stood his ground and there was no justification for what happened.