A 29-year-old Douglas man has admitted assaulting a bouncer in Bordello nightclub.

Jacob Baruch Raby, of Murrays Road, pleaded guilty to a common assault charge but denied an accusation that he had deliberately punched the doorman.

A Newton Hearing will now be held to settle the disputed facts of the case.

Prosecutor Richard Butters told the court how, at 10.40pm on February 9, police were called to the club on Loch promenade.

They were said to have found three men pinning Raby down as he struggled violently and were told he had assaulted the doorman.

The doorman said he had heard a disturbance downstairs in the club and went down to investigate.

He said that Raby grabbed him with two hands for no reason and then swung at him, hitting him on the back of the head, knocking him back against a wall.

He said that he had suffered a lump just behind his left ear due to the assault.

He described Raby as very drunk and said he seemed ’off his head’.

Raby was arrested and continued to be aggressive, so much so required three police officers to put him in a van.

Witnesses in the club differed in their accounts of the incident. One said they saw Raby hit the bouncer on the door but another said they saw him push the man to the ground.

Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes said that the dispute over whether a punch was thrown would make a material difference to sentencing and therefore a Newton Hearing would be necessary.

A pre-Newton Hearing review will be held on May 15.

Bail was granted in the sum of £500.