A MAN was punched outside a takeaway and then badly beaten in a group attack a short time later.
Franky McCarthy (18) admitted punching Adam Tidswell outside Hot And Spicy in Spalding’s New Road in the early hours of March 11.
He also admitted using threatening behaviour towards Mr Tidswell.
Magistrates heard the injury inflicted by McCarthy’s blow could not be assessed because Mr Tidswell received “numerous injuries” when attacked a short time later by unknown assailants in Pinchbeck Road.
McCarthy, of Cowbit Road, Spalding, was given a 16-week custodial sentence at a previous hearing for his involvement in a group attack on a different man – Jozef Medzansky – some time later on the morning of March 11.
For the attack on Mr Medzansky, McCarthy was also given a 12-month supervision order, a four-month 7pm-6pm curfew and 100 hours’ unpaid work.
Magistrates at Spalding on Thursday sentenced him to a second community order with 80 hours’ unpaid work.
Presiding magistrate Hildegard Carter said: “You will have gathered by the time we have taken in the retiring room that we taken this case very seriously.
“It may have been only one blow but any blow is a serious offence.”
Marie Stace, prosecuting, said CCTV images showed “friendly banter” between two groups of males in the takeway, but then McCarthy became aggressive.
Solicitor Mark Hudson, mitigating, said you could see on CCTV how the atmosphere changed.
He said McCarthy invited Mr Tidswell outside and “he was more than happy to go”.
Mr Hudson said: “He has stopped drinking since that night – it was March 11 – because it was drink that caused the problem in the first place.
“From this Monday he has got a job for the first time ever in his life.”