A 47-year-old man who was involved in a New Year’s Eve fight outside the Rosemount pub in Douglas has been handed a suspended sentence.

Martin Huxley retaliated after he was hit by a male, which prompted the two men to start fighting in the road.

He pleaded guilty to affray and was sentenced by magistrates to 14 weeks’ custody, suspended for 12 months, and also put under supervision for a year.

Huxley was also banned from entering licensed premises, and purchasing or being sold alcohol for six months.

He was struck in the face by another male, who has not yet been before the court.

Huxley responded by punching the male, who then fell onto the ground.

He was then said to have continued to hit the man while he was on the ground, with numerous punches.

After being arrested and taken to police headquarters, Huxley answered ‘no comment’ to all questions.

A probation report said that Huxley was not heavily convicted, with his last conviction being in 2021, when he received a community service order, which he completed.

Prior to that, he had no convictions since 1996.

The report said that the defendant had suffered a bereavement a few days prior to the latest incident and admitted that he had drunk too much.

He said that the other male had assaulted him in an unprovoked attack, but he accepted that he had responded with punches, and had continued to hit him.

The probation report concluded that Huxley, who lives at Queen’s Terrace in Douglas, was in need of support and guidance, and recommended a period of supervision as the most appropriate sentence.

Defence advocate Kaitlyn Shimmin said that her client wanted to apologise for his actions and that it had been a blip, as he had been extremely stressed at the time over his loss of a close family member.

Ms Shimmin said that Huxley had been standing outside the Rosemount having a cigarette when the other male came outside and punched him hard to the side of the head.

The advocate said that her client had been diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome as a result of the blow.

She added that Huxley had said that, if he could go back, he would have dealt with the matter in a different way.

Magistrates also ordered Huxley to pay £125 prosecution costs, within seven days.