A teenager who punched a doorman at Jaks and was caught drug driving has been put on probation for nine months.

Stephen Daniel Thomas Higgins admitted both offences and was also banned from driving for two years.

Magistrates also ordered the 18-year-old to take an extended test at the end of the ban.

We previously reported that Higgins was driving a Renault Kangoo on Peel Road in Douglas at 1.45am, on July 3.

Police reported that the vehicle was swerving in the road and slowing down so they stopped Higgins on Belmont Hill, Douglas.

Officers described the 18-year-old as having bloodshot eyes, being lethargic, and slurring his speech.

A drug wipe test at the scene proved positive for cannabis and Higgins was subsequently arrested.

After being taken to police headquarters, a blood sample was taken which later produced a reading of 3.9. The legal limit for cannabis is two.

Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain told the court that Higgins was at Jaks on Loch Promenade on March 17.

He was refused service at the bar, as staff said he was too drunk, and then became abusive.

Higgins was asked to leave on three occasions but refused and swore.

Security staff removed him and he started to hold onto things and resist by planting his body weight on the ground.

They took him outside and there was some pushing, with Higgins then throwing a punch which hit one of the doormen on the jaw.

He was arrested and during an interview at police headquarters said he could remember throwing the punch, but not whether it was a palm or fist.

Higgins said that he believed the doormen had used excessive force and he was said to be making a formal complaint.

A probation report said that Higgins was doing a joinery course at the college with part of it being a work placement.

The report said that he had since been sacked from the placement because of his court case so this may affect his course.

Higgins told probation that he had a stammer and this was why staff at the bar had thought he was intoxicated.

He claimed that after the incident he was pulled to the ground by the doormen and punched repeatedly, and that he ‘thought he was going to die’ as he lost consciousness at one point.

The report said that a period of supervision would be beneficial to the teenager.

Defence advocate James Peterson said that the drug-driving case had been delayed as Higgins had instructed his own expert who had initially found that the reading was below the legal limit.

However, Mr Peterson said that the expert then said that there had been an error and it was over the limit.

Of the assault, the advocate said that Higgins admitted he was abusive to staff and resistant to being removed, but Mr Peterson said, having viewed the CCTV footage, the use of force afterwards by the security staff was appalling.

The advocate said that Higgins had been put in a choke hold and put on the ground, where the choke hold continued, causing him to lose consciousness and suffer burst blood vessels in his eye.

Magistrates made no order for prosecution costs.

‘What resulted afterwards was disproportionate and is subject to his own complaint,’ said Mr Peterson.