AN Evesham man was found guilty of affray following a fight outside a pub that led to a middle-aged man needing 50 stitches around his eye.

Blake Collins, aged 20, of Old School House, School Lane, Pershore, admitted the charge of affray against Dennis Casson. The incident happened outside the Fleet Inn, Twyning, on September 13 last year.

Gloucester Crown Court heard on Tuesday, April 29, how Mr Casson was hit after Collins went to the defence of his younger brother. Collins denied an earlier charge of wounding, which was accepted by the prosecution and he was formally found not guilty.

But the court found him guilty of affray and he was sentenced to 100 hours of community punishment work and ordered to pay Mr Casson £150 compensation.

Mr Paul Grumbar, prosecuting, said: "The injured party was having an altercation with the defendant's younger brother in a car park at the pub.

He continued: "The defendant thought his younger brother might be in trouble and went outside. He saw his brother with the injured party and there was some sort of dispute. He then struck the injured party in the face."

Mr Grumbar said the victim received substantial cuts to the face that needed 50 stitches in different parts of the area around the eye.

The prosecutor added: "We accept Collins may well have been under the impression that his younger brother was under attack of some sort but the force he used was excessive."

Mr Grumbar told the court Collins had previous convictions for common assault in 1999, drink-related assault in 2001 and common assault and threatening behaviour in January last year.

Giles Nelson, defending, said: "There has been a link between him getting drunk and being violent.

"To his credit he has not been in trouble since this incident."

He added: "The most serious aspect of this case is that he struck a man who fell to the ground and knocked his head on the way down, causing this nasty injury for which the defendant is very sorry."

Passing sentence Judge Boothman told Collins: "This is your fourth conviction for an offence of violence and you are coming close, as you must realise, to a custodial sentence if this goes on."