A 22-year-old Douglas man has been jailed after an assault during which he used homophobic language.

Lewis Jack Moulder Kelly shouted abuse at his victim before pinning him against a fence and punching him in the face repeatedly.

Kelly pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm and was jailed by Deputy High Bailiff James Brooks for 24 weeks.

He was also banned from entering licensed premises and buying or being sold alcohol for nine months.

Prosecuting advocate Roger Kane told the court that the victim and his partner were walking on Broadway in Douglas on February 17 at 10pm.

Kelly, who lives at Empire Terrace, was walking on the opposite side of the road and when he saw the couple shouted ’faggot’.

He then pinned one of the men against a fence and punched him repeatedly causing a cut near his eye.

The victim’s partner called the police and Kelly left.

Police arrived and found Kelly in Derby Road where he was arrested.

He was interviewed at police headquarters and denied knowing the victim. He said he had been drinking at a friend’s house and was highly intoxicated, but claimed he had not left Derby Road, other than to sit on a wall outside.

Kelly told police he was not homophobic, saying he had gay friends and would not have used the word ’faggot’.

But Mr Kane said that it had been a nasty assault, aggravated by the homophobic nature of the abuse.

The prosecutor submitted that the case could be sentenced in summary court, adding that the injuries were not too significant and had perhaps just put the case above a common assault.

Kelly was jailed for 20 weeks in November last year after he punched a 13-year-old boy and racially abused a police officer, using the P word.

And in August 2021, he was jailed for 32 weeks in August after he spat in the face of a police officer and threatened to ’smack’ a shop worker who refused to sell him alcohol.

Defence advocate Stephen Wood said of the latest offence: ’We have to accept the custody threshold has been crossed, bearing in mind Mr Kelly’s previous convictions. There is little point in delaying matters for a probation report.

’He has left the court with no alternative.

’The principal plank of his mitigation is his guilty plea. He told officers he couldn’t remember what occurred but accepted the evidence.’

Mr Wood went on to say that Kelly wanted to put this sort of behaviour behind him and hoped to work with probation services while he was in custody.

’But the best help he can provide to himself is his future conduct and staying away from alcohol,’ said the advocate.

Deputy High Bailiff James Brooks told Kelly: ’You have a very poor record. You are clearly a man who resorts very easily to violence. I accept you were drunk but I don’t think you can blame that for the comments.’

No order for costs or compensation was made.