Burnley Magistrates Court

Simon Anthony Doe, 34, then tried to get into several taxis outside the premises, but had been photographed by 63-year-of victim Philip Crane.

The court heard how Mr Crane felt hurt and humiliated by the attack and afterwards suffered nightmares and flashbacks. Doe could remember nothing about it.

Doe, a supervisor with Farmfoods, admitted assault by beating on May 1. The defendant, of Woodbine Road, Burnley, was fined £80 and must pay £75 compensation, a £30 victim surcharge and £85 costs. He was spared an exclusion order, which would have banned him from pubs in the town.

Bench chairman Mr John James, who read Mr Crane’s victim personal statement to the court, told Doe :” You were obviously very, very drunk and don’t remember what happened.”

Prosecutor Miss Parveen Akhtar told the court Mr Crane was talking to a friend at the bar, at about 7.45pm, when he suddenly felt a warm sensation passing down his left leg and found his leg was wet.

He noticed a male slumped with his back against the bar, with his trousers around his thighs and his genitals in his hand.

Miss Akhtar said police arrived, found the defendant on Yorkshire Street and he was interviewed. He was offered a caution on condition he pay the victim £50 compensation, but hadn’t paid.

The court heard how in his victim impact statement, Mr Crane told how he felt hurt and humiliated by the assault, which took place in full close view of mixed company. He said: I have had nightmares with flashbacks. In summary, I feel very down about the whole matter.”

Jasmine Basnyet, defending, said Doe rang Burnley Police Station to try and get an account number to pay the £50 and would have paid it had he got it.

The solicitor continued: “He admitted the offence in interview. He said he didn’t recollect the incident but he had no reason to doubt what the victim had said. It’s quite out of character for this defendant.”

Miss Basnyet told the hearing: “He has no similar convictions. He can’t understand what got into him on that night. He fully regrets his actions. He is remorseful. He is disgusted by his actions. He can’t understand why he did it himself, other than he had too much to drink.

“He is not in the habit of going out and committing offences. This really does seem to be a random event that occurred. He does offer his apologises to the victim.”