A drunk Appleby labourer who tackled a 13-year-old boy standing on the side of the road promoting takeaway pizza agreed it was a ‘‘despicable act’’.

Matthew Shane Inwood admitted a charge of assault when he appeared in the Nelson District Court yesterday.

Prosecutor Sergeant Wayne Johnston said Inwood was a passenger in car travelling down Gladstone Rd last year.

When the car stopped at an intersection Inwood, egged on by his mates, jumped out of the car and tackled the victim leaving him dazed on the ground.

The 13-year-old boy who was promoting Domino’s Pizza was left with a grazed arm.

Inwood told police he was drunk at the time and thought it would be funny to tackle the boy.

Judge Richard Russell said it was a ‘‘silly foolish act, committed towards a 13-year-old boy trying to eek a few dollars holding those signs out’’.

The boy had not deserved to be treated the way Inwood had treated him.

Inwood’s actions were aggravated by the fact he had committed the assault while under post release conditions following his last sentence.

Inwood needed to take a serious look at how he was handling alcohol.

Judge Russell sentenced Inwood to 60 hours community work and ordered him to pay the victim $100 in emotional harm payment.