A 22-year-old from Onchan has been ordered to perform 60 hours’ community service after a row with nightclub bouncers.

Nicholas Paul Moffitt, of Barrule Drive, was also banned from entering licensed premises for six months and ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs.

He pleaded guilty in a magistrates’ court to two offences of obstructing a drug search and disorderly behaviour on licensed premises.

Prosecutor Barry Swain told the court how, on December 17 at 3.15am, police were called to the Courthouse bar in Athol Street in Douglas.

When they arrived they found Moffitt being detained by security staff there.

Moffitt had been suspected of handing over a suspicious package to another man in the toilets and had been stopped by security for a search.

Mr Swain said that, in fairness, nothing was found during the search but the incident caused Moffitt to get angry and become verbally abusive to security staff.

He swore at one member of staff, calling him ’fat’ and referred to others as ’terrorists’.

Moffitt squared up to one bouncer and was subsequently arrested.

He was put in handcuffs but continued his rant, swearing and saying ’Just because I wouldn’t let you search me. You’re all terrorists.’

Mr Swain asked the court to consider a licensing ban as he said that the offence had been committed while Moffitt was drunk.

Defending Moffitt in court his advocate Pamela Pringle said: ’My client’s mother and father are in court today to support him. He pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

’We would ask the court to accept this very unfortunate incident arose from a tragic set of circumstances.

’Mr Moffitt’s uncle passed away and they were very close. He had been to the funeral and the wake.

’He had been drinking at the wake, self-medicating in a way, drowning his sorrows.

’He went to the toilet, bouncers followed him and falsely accused him of having drugs. He has no history of drug abuse. The other man in the toilets was not searched, which seems quite remarkable if they were passing drugs.

’Mr Moffitt’s reaction was exacerbated by grief. The bouncer reported that my client agreed to go with him.

’’He was searched and they were hurting him. He was losing his balance and may have appeared to have been resisting but he was in pain.

’He has good friends and a supportive family. Hopefully if you show him some leniency he’ll be able to rebuild his life.’

Ms Pringle went on to ask the court to accept that, in grief, Moffitt’s reaction, although not acceptable, was understandable.

Magistrates’ chairman Caroline Convery said while passing sentence: ’We aren’t going to send you to prison today.

’However, the use of abusive language towards police and security staff, who were only carrying out their duty is totally unacceptable.’