A thug who attacked a train cleaner after falling asleep and missing his stop has been sentenced in court.

Nicky Matthewman flew into a fit of rage when his snooze on the service from Grantham caused him to miss his destination on June 4 last year, waking up in Leeds Station where it terminated.

Matthewman, 31, from Dewsbury, became aggressive when woken by a member of staff and resorted to punching a man who had got onto the carriage to clean it, knocking him to the ground.

The cleaner lost consciousness for a short time, but found his feet and left the train only to be met again by Matthewman, who punched him a second time.

The victim collapsed again requiring medical assistance, and the court heard he had to later take time off work to recover from the shock.

Matthewman, of Park View, Thornhill, was sentenced at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday last week, and ordered to pay £1,000 compensation and £170 in court costs and victim surcharges. Magistrates also handed Matthewman a six-month community order and an electronic curfew between the hours of 7.30pm and 6.30am.

PC Rob Glassborow, of British Transport Police, said: “This was a completely unprovoked attack on a member of rail staff who was simply doing his job. The victim suffered swelling and soreness to his head. Nobody should be assaulted on the railway, least of all when they are at work.”