A MAN from Bere Alston, who claimed a party-goer swore at him and kicked his dog, knocked the man out with a single punch, a court heard.

Prosecutor David Gittins told Plymouth Crown Court that on December 21 last year, the victim went to a Christmas party in Tavistock.

Around 8pm, he went outside the pub for a smoke but tripped over Dean Harris's dog, which had run into the doorway from the other side of the road.

The complainant said: 'I'm sorry, I didn't see your dog.'

Harris, 23, then punched the man in the face, knocking him unconscious and leaving him with bruising and swelling.

CCTV showed Harris, who was on the phone throughout the incident, standing over the man before grabbing his dog by the collar and leaving the scene.

Mr Gittins said the Crown did not accept Harris's version that the man had kicked his dog and sworn at him before he retaliated.

He received a community order with which he failed to comply, said Mr Gittins.

Nick Lewin, for Harris, said Tavistock was a quiet place where having a dog off the lead was common.

'If your honour can imagine a market town stuck in the '60s, that's Tavistock,' he said.

He said the victim had been drinking for five hours before arriving at the pub, and was heavily in drink rather than unconscious.

Because the victim did not remember the assault, Harris had led to his own prosecution by telling the landlord who he was and what he had done, he said.

Mr Lewin said his client was in full-time work, earned a decent wage and was suitable and willing to do community work as part of his punishment.

Judge Paul Darlow told Harris, who had pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm: 'Even if your account is right, there is no justification of any sort for attacking that man in that way.'

Judge Darlow said the fact that Harris had been drinking only made matters worse, adding: 'How callous to walk over, hit him while still on the phone, stand over him and then wander off.

'These were the actions of a violent individual.'

He sentenced Harris to six months in jail, suspended for two years.

He ordered him to pay his victim £500 costs and to pay the full prosecution costs of £1,650 at £250 a month, as well as doing 120 hours of unpaid community work.