A man from Glen Vine who punched another man in the street has been put on probation for 18 months.

Matthew George Paul Flint claimed he had thought the man had been throwing stones at his grandmother’s windows.

Flint, who lives at Bollan Way and is 20, pleaded guilty to common assault and was also ordered by magistrates to pay his victim £200 compensation.

Prosecuting advocate Rebecca Cubbon told the court that, on September 26 at 2pm, Flint approached his victim at King William’s Way in Castletown.

He asked him: ’Have you been throwing stones at windows?’

But before the man could answer Flint threw an upper cut, hitting the man in the face and causing his nose to bleed.

Flint ran off after the assault but was later arrested.

When interviewed he initially denied the assault but then admitted that he had punched the man.

He told police that someone had been throwing stones at his grandmother’s windows and he thought it was him.

The court heard that Flint has a previous conviction for common assault in January 2020 when he was fined £350. He also has a caution in October 2020 for being drunk and disorderly.

A probation report said that Flint suffered from anxiety and panic attacks and had got into a negative cycle of trying to self-medicate using alcohol.

The report said that he wanted help but there were difficulties getting support from mental health services.

Flint told probation that he had lost his job six weeks ago as a groundworker because of his drinking and that he was going to contact Motiv8.

The report recommended a probation order as the most suitable sentence.

Defence advocate Paul Rodgers said that his client had issues with alcohol and his mother was in court to support him.

’Alcohol and anxiety played a part in his actions that day,’ said the advocate.

’Stones had been thrown and at the time he believed the victim was responsible.’

Mr Rodgers went on to say that Flint sometimes drank a litre of vodka in a day.

Magistrates ordered him to pay £125 prosecution costs, which he will pay, along with the compensation at a rate of £10 per week.