An offender who was seen punching a man at a taxi rank has been fined £750 for being drunk and disorderly.

Cesar Teodoro Simoes Maia was seen trying to drag the man out of a cab and hitting him.

Prosecuting advocate Hazel Carroon told the court that police were on patrol in Victoria Street in Douglas on March 13 at 3.50am when they saw Maia at the taxi rank outside Lloyds Bank.

The 38-year-old was seen hitting a member of the public twice as he tried to drag him out of a cab.

The victim did not want to make a complaint after police spoke to him.

Maia was said to be agitated, unsteady on his feet, and was subsequently arrested.

He told police: ‘Of course I punched the guy. I wanted to punch the guy.’

Defence advocate Paul Glover said: ‘I’m sure you can imagine Mr Maia has a tale to tell but it’s not really any reasonable excuse for what happened.’

The court heard that Maia was jailed in 2018 for six weeks for disorderly behaviour on licensed premises.

Deputy High Bailiff James Brooks told Maia, who lives at Derby Square in Douglas: ‘You are probably a lucky man that the gentleman didn’t wish to make a complaint.

‘With your record you could have been looking at a sentence of custody.’

Maia was also ordered to pay £125 prosecution cost and will pay at a rate of £100 per month.