A groom-to-be who was wearing a wedding dress when he punched a bouncer has been sentenced to 100 hours community service.

Thomas George Brian Kewley was on his stag night when he assaulted a security man at the Saddle Inn.

The 28-year-old pleaded guilty to common assault while a second charge, of disorderly behaviour on licensed premises, was withdrawn.

He was also ordered to pay £150 compensation to the victim and banned from licensed premises for three weeks.

Prosecuting advocate Hazel Carroon told the court that Kewley was at the Saddle Inn, off the North Quay in Douglas, on August 6 at 10.20pm.

He was wearing a white wedding dress as he was on his stag do.

The security officer said that he saw Kewley come out of the men’s toilets and then approach him.

He asked the bouncer to confirm his name, which he did, then punched him in the face.

This caused the security man to suffer a swollen and bleeding lip.

Kewley left the pub immediately after the incident.

When police arrived, a member of the public informed them that Kewley was now in the Albert pub nearby, but had taken off the wedding dress.

Officers went to the bar on Chapel Row and he was arrested and taken to police headquarters.

During a police interview, Kewley said that he was quite intoxicated and had thought the bouncer had been laughing at him.

He admitted punching him.

A probation report said that Kewley was a delivery driver and was due to marry on September 17.

The report said that he had experienced personal difficulties with an illness in his family.

Kewley told probation that he knew the bouncer previously and there had been history between them.

The court heard that he has one previous conviction, in 2012, and the probation report concluded that Kewley was unlikely to be back before the court.

Defence advocate Stephen Wood handed in a basis of plea for his client in which Kewley said he had not known that the victim was a bouncer when he punched him.

He also said that he had changed out of the wedding dress because it was cold, and he had clothes with him, but it had not been an attempt to avoid apprehension.

Prosecutor Ms Carroon said that, to be fair to Kewley, the security man had said that he was not wearing an armband as he was waiting for it to arrive in the post.

Mr Wood handed in letters of reference of his client as well as letters of apology from Kewley to the victim and the pub licensee.

The advocate asked for credit to be given for the guilty plea and said that it was a limited injury, a single blow, and Kewley had walked away afterwards.

Mr Wood said: ‘Mr Kewley certainly hasn’t sought out the victim. There has been disharmony between them. He had alcohol on board and that probably affected his reaction.

‘He has had to endure the embarrassment in court, and no doubt the way in which he was attired will be relayed to the Manx public.’

The advocate went on to ask that Kewley, who lives at Main Road in Castletown, be spared an alcohol ban which may prohibit him from attending his wedding reception.

High Bailiff Jayne Hughes said that she was sentencing Kewley on the basis that he had not known the victim was a member of security staff.

She told Kewley: ‘Any assault on licensed premises is considered serious. One assault can lead to another, especially when those around are intoxicated.’

Mrs Hughes imposed the three week licensing ban saying that this will have ended by Kewley’s wedding date.

He was also ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs.