A drunken thug who beat a man outside a village pub and twice returned to attack the stricken victim has avoided jail.

Due to court delays, Daniel Simmons was given a suspended sentence for the serious assault outside The Fox in Thorner dating back to October 21, 2021.

Simmons, who lives in Lancashire but was working a construction job in West Yorkshire at the time, had been drinking in the Main Street pub with a friend and two females when an argument broke out with another patron.

The other man left, but when he got outside he was attacked by Simmons and his friend. He was punched to the head multiple times, prosecutor Matthew Bean told Leeds Crown Court.

The pair then walked away but returned to the victim with Simmons seen to punch him repeatedly to the head. They walked away for a second time but returned again with Simmons raining further blows down on the man’s face.

Simmons had been drinking heavily in The Fox in Thorner when an argument broke out and and a pal attacked the man outside. | Google Maps / NW

One of the horrified females with whom they had been drinking raised the alarm.

The victim was taken to hospital with cuts and bruises to his face and arm. He underwent a CT Scan and X-ray.

Details of where Simmons had been staying were passed to the police who arrested him. He accepted he hit the man but said it was self defence. He then gave a no-comment interview.

The court was told Simmons, of Crabtree Avenue, Waterfoot, Lancashire, had previous convictions for driving matters, but none for violence.

A probation report into the 31-year-old found that he had been drinking heavily that night and taking drugs.

Mitigating, Rhianydd Clement said: “He wishes to apologise through me to the court and the complainant. He is appalled by his behaviour.

“He was heavily intoxicated through both drink and drugs at the time. He does not seek to excuse his behaviour. This defendant had a troubled young life, he was in foster care since he was 10.”

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Judge Howard Crowson told Simmons: “It was quite a nasty incident. Why you attacked him I suspect you can’t answer. You returned to him two or three times.”

He gave him a nine-month sentence, suspended for 12 months, with 10 rehabilitation days and 100 hours of unpaid work.

Judge Crowson conceded it was “out of character” and a “long time ago”.

Drunken thug beat man outside Leeds village pub after dispute