A 'DRUNKEN bully' who punched a man in the face so hard that he lost consciousness has been given a suspended prison sentence.
Christopher Harper, 22, approached Damien Laird and another man in Commercial Road, Lowestoft, and told them that, as they were in the Navy, they must be gay, Ipswich Crown Court was told on Wednesday.
Shortly afterwards, Harper ran at Mr Laird and punched him so hard that he fell straight to the ground and lost consciousness,
Rupert Myers, prosecuting, said Mr Laird was taken to hospital but was not found to have suffered a serious head injury.
Harper, of Kirkley Cliff Road, Lowestoft, admitted assaulting Mr Laird causing him actual bodily harm on July 21 last year.
Sentencing him, to a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years and to 200 hours unpaid work in the community, Judge Roderick Newton described him as a 'drunken bully'.
He also ordered Harper to pay �340 costs and �1,000 compensation to Mr Laird.
Laura Kenyon, for Harper, said he was determined not to reoffend in the future.
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