A HOTEL doorman suffered a chipped tooth after being punched in the face in a Lakes town.

A court heard how Nick Coolican punched out while on a night out with friends during a golfing weekend.

The 41-year-old dad of two admitted assaulting a doorman at the Stags Head Hotel in Bowness.

Prosecutor Lee Dacre described how the incident unfolded at the three-star hotel and pub on June 16.

He said: "The complainant is a member of door staff and is employed at The Stags Head.

"CCTV showed the defendant was asked to leave the premises and was walked out by staff.

"The CCTV shows the defendant punch out and hit the complainant in the face.

"He suffered a chipped tooth and bruises to the right-hand side of the cheek."

Mitigating, Trystan Roberts said: "He was out on the premises with some friends for a golfing weekend. He accepts that he had a drink.

"He was trying to get back into the premises in order to retrieve something.

"He accepts he's hit out having been pushed by another of the doormen and falling to the floor

"He's sorry for what he did.

"He's a man who has been in some trouble before but not for a significant length of time - he was last in court in around 2009."

Mr Roberts said the assault was a 'relatively minor matter' but added: "Clearly the level of injury is not good and wasn't envisaged by this defendant.

"He was not really going for the complainant, he was just striking out as he was being pushed to the floor."

Sentencing Coolican, chair of the bench Jackie Foster said the defendant must have used 'substantial force' to chip a tooth.

She added: "It was a so-called sucker punch and he was not expecting the punch."

She also said the offence was made worse by being committed on a licensed premises, with others present.

Coolican, of Siskin Road in Preston, was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work for the offence.

He was also ordered to pay £350 in compensation to the victim, on top of a £114 victim surcharge and £85 in court costs.