A man has been given a suspended jail sentence after he punched and kicked a customer in a town centre nightclub.
Leeds Crown Court heard Arnold Arapaj approached the victim Martin Houslin about 1.40am on July 31 in the Kewz nightclub in Queen Street.
Howard Shaw, prosecuting, said on a previous occasion Arapaj had called the complainant a “retard” so when he asked Mr Houslin to buy him a drink he refused.
At that point Arapaj punched him in the face, knocking him to the floor “rendering him unconscious.”
While he was laid out the defendant then kicked him to the head before he was ejected from the club, said Mr Shaw.
An ambulance and police were called and Arapaj was arrested after he was pointed out to officers near the club. The victim was taken to hospital where he was treated for a bleeding nose, swollen lip and eye.
Shufqat Khan, representing Arapaj, said he had little recollection of events because of the amount he had drunk but it was clear it was a spontaneous and short-lived incident.
Mr Khan said: “It has scared him the ordeal of coming through the criminal justice system and it has also been sobering because he has stopped drinking since.”
He said Arapaj had sought asylum in the UK some years ago after fleeing from his country for political reasons.
Arapaj, 23, of Rudding Street, Crosland Moor, was convicted by magistrates of assaulting Mr Houslin causing him actual bodily harm and committed for sentence.
Imposing a six month prison sentence suspended for 12 months with 200 hours unpaid work, Recorder James Baird said he had inflicted unpleasant injuries.
He added: “You are clearly remorseful for what you have done and from the letter I have read your actions are very much out of character. I am also told by your counsel you have also now stopped drinking to excess.”
