A Douglas man who got into a fight over a taxi has been fined £300 for being drunk and disorderly.

Benjamin Elliott Corrin exchanged punches with a man at the taxi rank in Victoria Street in Douglas.

After pleading guilty to the offence, High Bailiff Jayne Hughes also ordered the 25-year-old to pay £125 prosecution costs.

Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain told the court how Corrin, who lives at Heather Crescent, was at the taxi rank on March 5 at 3.30am.

Initially he got into a verbal argument with another male who arrived at the rank. The incident was captured on CCTV and escalated as the two men started to throw punches at each other.

Police on foot patrol arrested the duo and both were said to be unsteady on their feet, slurring their words, and smelling of alcohol.

During a police interview Corrin said that he was ‘seven or eight’ out of 10 when asked how drunk he was, but said that he was ‘happy’ drunk.

He said that the other male had arrived and said he would be getting the next taxi, thereby jumping the queue, which had sparked the argument. Corrin said that he had told the man he could not get the next taxi and the man had then thrown the first punch, striking him on the cheek and knocking him to the ground.

Corrin said that he accepted that his behaviour was disorderly but reiterated that he had not thrown the first punch. He has no previous convictions.

Defence advocate James Peterson said: ‘This is clearly an alcohol-fuelled argument.

‘Mr Corrin has entered an early guilty plea and given a full account to police, to the best of his recollection.’

Mr Peterson asked for credit to be given for the fact that his client had no previous convictions, only a caution in 2018 for being drunk and disorderly. The advocate asked for the case to be dealt with by way of a financial penalty.

The other male involved is due to appear in court on a later date.