A MAN threw a stone in another man’s face, dished out blows to the head and launched a kung fu kick like Eric Cantona during an alcohol-fuelled altercation, a court heard.

Kane Lewis Watts, Ringwood, became involved in two separate fights with Casey Burgess at The Boathouse in Christchurch.

Watts, 29, was in the dock at Bournemouth Crown Court on Wednesday, February 1, to be sentenced for assaulting Mr Burgess on the night of July 11, 2020.

The defendant was spared immediate custody by a judge, who told the offender he had inflicted a “very serious injury” to the complainant’s face.

Mr Burgess suffered a full thickness laceration of “some size” to his mouth which left a lasting facial scar after his lip was struck a “considerable blow”.

Prosecuting, Tom Wright said the defendant had been at The Boathouse in Quay Road with a large party of friends.

The court heard Watts had been asked to leave the premises earlier in the evening after he exposed himself.

Mr Wright said there was an altercation of some sort between the two men and there were two separate interactions.

The first was described as a “fist fight”, which “obviously both felt had not fully resolved matters”.

Mr Burgess left the area for a while but came back to talk to a friend, Mr Wright said.

“He can be seen to run in the direction of this defendant,” Mr Wright said.

Another fist fight broke out between the two before the defendant got hold of a “large stone”, which he threw from close range directly in Mr Burgess’s face.

The court heard the complainant was “rather staggered” by the blow and Watts ran away.

Watts’s girlfriend at the time became involved and struck Mr Burgess to the head with her handbag before a tussle ensued in which the complainant ended up on top of her on the ground.

The defendant came back to the altercation and launched what was described by Mr Wright as a “kung fu or Cantona” style kick.

He picked up another pebble and hit Mr Burgess a couple of times in the head.

"He was very angry, shouting and spitting blood and being very aggressive," Mr Wright said.

Police were quickly on the scene and an officer restrained the defendant, using CS spray and with help from a member of the public.

Footballer Cantona infamously assaulted a fan in a match at Crystal Palace after he had been sent off while playing for Manchester United.

The French forward launched himself into the crowd towards an abusive fan during the match at Selhurst Park in January 1995.

Watts, of Bickerley, Ringwood, admitted a charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm, with a basis of plea that he used excessive force when initially he was acting in self-defence.

Mitigating, Edward Warren said the second altercation may never have happened if Mr Burgess had not returned to the area.

Referencing a pre-sentence report, Mr Warren said the events could best be described as coming about “as a result of an emotional response to a challenging situation, no doubt exacerbated by alcohol”.

The defendant, who works full time as a marine electrician, had no previous convictions for violence.

“He is a young man who is looking to put this incident behind him,” Mr Warren said. “What can be described as a regrettable incident.”

Recorder Don Tait told the defendant: “You armed yourself with a weapon, which happened to be an ornamental stone which was within reach.”

Watts, whom Recorder Tait described as “responsible” and a “valued employee”, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment, suspended for two years.

He was ordered to pay £3,000 compensation and complete 150 hours of unpaid work.

The judge told the defendant to be careful when out drinking to avoid getting into any further altercations, which would see him back before the courts.

“I’m pretty confident that we will not see you again and this was out of character,” Recorder Tait said.