Two men have been jailed for an assault in Strand Street in the early hours.

Dieter Paul Johnson, of Larivane Estate, Andreas, was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison while Nathanial Gilbert, of Ashbourne Avenue, Douglas, was jailed for 10 weeks.

Both men pleaded guilty to common assault but Gilbert also admitted being drunk and disorderly on a separate date and was sentenced to an additional six weeks for that, bringing his total jail time to 16 weeks.

As we previously reported when the case was first heard in court, police were called to Strand Street on May 11 just after 3am.

The victim, a man who was wearing no shirt, said he had been assaulted and he was taken to Noble’s Hospital.

He was said to be intoxicated but told police his attackers had left the scene.

Police viewed CCTV footage which showed the man walking with a woman when Johnson and Gilbert approached.

Gilbert was seen arguing with the man and Johnson was seen pushing him.

The duo, both 23, appeared to leave the scene only to return with Johnson seen rugby tackling the man while his back was turned, causing him to fall to the ground.

Gilbert was then seen kicking the man while the woman attempted to keep Johnson away.

The two men and woman then left the area before police arrived.

Gilbert and Johnson were identified and later arrested. Their clothes matched the two men seen on the CCTV footage apart from the fact that they had swapped what they were wearing on their bottom halves with each other.

Gilbert gave a ’no comment’ interview while Johnson handed in a prepared statement describing the incident as ’handbags’.

He said the victim had taken off his shirt and that he was the main aggressor. Johnson said he had only pushed the victim to get him away and told him to stop picking a fight with his friend.

The two men were jointly charged with common assault.

Gilbert then committed the disorderly behaviour offence while he was on bail for the common assault offence.

He was ejected from 1886 bar in Regent Street on May 31 after refusing to pay for a drink then refusing to leave the bar. He then spat on the back of a bouncer then laughed when quizzed by the man about it.

Defending Gilbert in court advocate Paul Rodgers said that his client had been on remand for the equivalent of approximately a 10-week sentence.

’Prison has been a very sobering experience,’ said the advocate. ’It is the first time he has spent any time in custody.’

Mr Rodgers went on to say that the injuries to the assault victim had been limited.

The court heard that Johnson has a conviction for affray in 2018.

Louise Cooil, representing Johnson, said: ’There have been no convictions since January 2018.

’There was a spate of offending in 2014 and 2016. During that time Mr Johnson was involved with a peer group that was not the best influence. He accepts he should have taken a step back on this particular night.’

High Bailiff Jayne Hughes said that she may not have jailed the pair had it not been for Johnson’s previous convictions and the fact that Gilbert committed a second offence while on bail.