A gambler punched another man in the face with a car key in his fist, knocking out two of his teeth and cutting his lip in a row outside a Dublin casino.

Crolls Ferguson (33) attacked the victim when a disagreement they had inside led to a confrontation on the street.

Ferguson, a jobless software engineer, claimed he lashed out in self-defence, but Judge Mary Cashin found him guilty and adjourned the case for a pre-sentence probation report.

Father-of-one Ferguson, of Jamestown Square, Jamestown Road, Inchicore, had denied assaulting Altaeb Abbashar outside Funland on O'Connell Street Upper on December 28, 2017.

The pair only knew each other from going to the casino, where they were regulars.

Mr Abbashar told Dublin District Court he was outside, asking Ferguson to come out because he wanted to talk to him.

He put his hand on Fergus- on's shoulder and "all of a sudden he struck me with his right hand, with all his power", the victim said.

Stitches

Ferguson had car keys in his hand and broke his teeth.

He swallowed half a tooth and two were "on the floor" and he was "looking for them". He had to get six stitches to his lip.

In cross-examination by defence solicitor Matthew De Courcy, the victim denied threatening the accused or being aggressive or violent.

Gda Sandip Shrestha saw Mr Abbashar in an "angry and agitated state" shouting at the accused to come out before putting an arm around him.

"All of a sudden," Ferguson punched the victim, Gda Shrestha said.

A security guard said he thought the accused had acted in self-defence.

Ferguson told the court he was grabbed by Mr Abbashar with both hands and "couldn't breathe".

"I hit him because I couldn't catch my breath," he said. "He was trying to bring me down."

He denied there was a key in his hand.

Judge Cashin said that while the victim had been aggressive, his version of the assault was supported by CCTV and Fergus- on's reaction was disproportionate.