A MAN on a weekend celebratory visit to Skipton with his partner was punched in the face in an unprovoked attack in the town's Wetherspoon pub, a court heard.

Aurangzeb Asghar, who punched the man, was in The Devonshire Inn with his family on the evening of October 29 and had been having a 'heart to heart' with his son when he wrongly believed his victim was staring at him.

Asghar, 45, of Skipton, punched the man, knocking him to the ground, heard Skipton Magistrates' Court on Friday. 

It was an unprovoked attack which happened in front of other people and was captured on the pub's CCTV cameras, the court was told.

Asghar had initially denied the assault, but in court on Friday admitted what he had done.

The man, who was in Skipton celebrating his partner's birthday, said in a victim impact statement said Asghar had been 'totally out of order' and he had done nothing to provoke the attack.

He and his partner had returned to their hotel after the incident.

Asghar, who admitted common assault, had gone to the pub in Newmarket Street with his wife and children after what had been a difficult day, the court was told.

Mitigating, Yousef Khan said Asghar, a full-time tyre fitter, had learnt his young son had been the subject of bullying at school and so the decision had been made for the family to go out to The Devonshire Inn, a place he visited often. His wife and other children had left after eating, leaving Asghar and his son to talk.

"He wrongly thought the man was staring at him; he was discussing sensitive matters with his son and said to the man 'the toilets are over there'," said Mr Khan, who added he had wrongly interpreted the situation and now accepted it was his fault.

"He is very, very sorry for his behaviour and wants through me to pass on his apologies to the victim and his family."

Probation officer Andrew Watson said while of some time ago, Asghar had committed similar offences of a violent nature and placed him at a medium risk of re-offending.

He said Asghar, who had not been drinking, had been 'emotionally charged' because of what his son had been going through and they had been having a 'heart to heart'.

"The victim was in the wrong place at the wrong time and got the brunt of his feelings. He regrets his actions and appreciates the victim was in Skipton for a few days' holiday and that his thoughts about Skipton will be tarnished as a result of his actions for some time to come," said Mr Watson.

Mr Watson said Asghar had not been drinking and his actions were due to poor emotional control.

The magistrates' bench chairman said the bench acknowledged the emotion involved in learning his son had been bullied but that going to the pub was not perhaps the right place to address it.

Ashgar, of Whernside Road, Skipton, was given a 12-month community order with 100 hours unpaid work and up to 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days. He will also have to pay his victim £300 in compensation. There was no order for costs or surcharge.