A MAGISTRATE called a drunk man who threw a punch in the city centre McDonald’s an idiot before fining him.

Max Gotting admitted assault by beating when he appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Prosecuting Nichola Ritchie said Gotting was in McDonald’s in the early hours of January 20 when he joined the queue behind victim James McGiness.

The solicitor said Gotting had been tapping the victim’s shoulder and laughed with his friend at McGiness.

Miss Ritchie explained that after turning round the victim then swore at Gotting, which led to the friend putting himself between the pair.

Miss Ritchie said Gotting then clenched his fist and threw a punch over his friend’s shoulder, hitting the victim in the face.

Miss Ritchie said: “McGiness was wearing glasses, and those shot off. The victim received a cut to the nose as a result.”

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Martin McNamara, defending, described what had happened as an act of drunken stupidity, after the 18-year-old, of The Village, Powick, had been drinking in Worcester for a friend’s birthday.

“As people tend to do, they congregated in McDonald’s in the early hours,” Mr McNamara said.

“My client and his friend made comments about his height, and laughed.

“My client reached over his friend’s shoulder. It was one strike.

“If he hadn’t have had alcohol I suspect he wouldn’t have had the stupidity to get involved.

“There is no justification for it. He is remorseful.”

Sentencing him, chairman of the magistrates bench Brent Robertson said: “If this would have happened 10 years ago, you would have been eight and it would have been stupid then.

“This is exactly the kind of incident members of the public see (in the early hours) - people acting like idiots.

“It is stupid. It beggars belief.”

Gotting was fined £60, and ordered to pay costs of £135, and a victim surcharge of £30.

He also ordered him to pay compensation of £50. Gotting offered to pay the total, £275, off at a rate of £50 a month, which magistrates accepted.