Man spared jail after stamping on victim outside Telford nightclub

Macauley Goodwin, 20, punched and stamped on Ryan Woodman following an altercation outside Pussycats Nightclub in Wellington.

The attack took place at about 4.30am on February 22 last year, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard.

Rupert Jones, prosecuting, said Mr Woodman had tried to calm an argument between two women, following which Goodwin flicked a lit cigarette at him and said: "next time I see you I will have you".

The court heard that Goodwin, of Brandon Avenue, Admaston, Telford, who pleaded guilty to charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm and assault by beating, then punched Woodman to the head and put him in a headlock before the pair were split up.

Mr Jones said Goodwin's girlfriend then approached Mr Woodman and hit him, causing him to respond in self defence.

Goodwin then chased Mr Woodman and punched him six or seven times before stamping on him while he was on the floor.

Mr Woodman's friend George Wilson tried to intervene but Goodwin also punched him.

The court was told Mr Woodman had suffered a fractured vertebra in the attack and had to take three months off work.

Gemma Maxwell, defending, said: "This was an incident that was peculiar – it was uncharacteristic of this man and he has readily recognised a gross error of judgement."

Goodwin was given a two-year suspended prison sentence and was ordered to pay £1,000 compensation to his victim and £500 costs. He must also complete 100 hours of community service, and was made subject of a three-month curfew from 8pm to 6am.

Sentencing, Judge Jim Tindal said the incident showed how alcohol could affect people's judgment.

He said: "This is utterly out of character. There is something I suspect in the fact that things would probably not have progressed as they did – that what really caused you to lose it completely was that you would have seen it as an assault on your girlfriend. Clearly Mr Woodman saw he was defending himself from an assault by her.

"This just demonstrates how even a sensible and reasonable, hard working young man who has never been in trouble before can, if he drinks too much and things get out of hand as they do often do, can in seconds have the red mist descend and cause quite serious injuries to someone."