An unemployed father of four who beat up another man was told to pay him almost £3,000 in compensation at Feltham court last week.

Leslie Prigmore, aged 42, of Sutton Lane, Hounslow, had pleaded guilty to assaulting James Doherty at Island Park, Feltham, on an earlier occasion and been remanded on bail for reports.

Prosecuting, David Rowe, said that Prigmore and a woman had gone to see Doherty and accused him of getting them barred from a pub. Prigmore then beat him up badly and left the scene.

In court Prigmore told the bench that he is the single father of four children and living on benefits. He said if he were sent to prison there would be no one to look after the children. He said he is hard up and drinks far less than he did.

Magistrates told him that it had been a most serious offence and said they had considered prison. It was only because he had shown remorse and had children to look after that they sentenced him to community rehab for two years with anger management, £2,837 in compensation to Mr Doherty and £60 costs at £30 a week.