A MAN who attacked a nightclub bottom pincher had been provoked all evening, a court was told yesterday.

Father of two Grant Martin Edmondson, 22, had taken exception to the antics of Phillip McCaskie in a Harrogate club, his solicitor, Geoffrey Boothby, told the town's magistrates.

Mr Boothby said Mr McCaskie first annoyed a girl in Edmondson's party by pinching her bottom and when the group moved to another floor of the nightclub, Mr McCaskie had followed and stared at Edmondson in a threatening and aggressive manner.

Later, after Edmondson, of Kingswood, Markington, near Ripon, had left the King's Road club, he met Mr McCaskie in nearby Union Street. Mr McCaskie had put his arm around him and the pair had talked.

The court was told Mr McCaskie said: "I am going to take your nose off.''

Fearing that he was about to be attacked, Edmondson struck the first blow and a fight broke out.

Mr Boothby said Edmondson had been provoked but had done nothing, and his victim had not wanted to pursue an assault charge, possibly because of what had gone before.

Edmondson, an apprentice bricklayer, pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour after the court had watched a video of the incident.

He was ordered to do 60 hours of unpaid community work and pay £70 costs.