A MAN was fined and ordered to pay his victim compensation yesterday after admitting an assault in a Richmond pub in April.

Magistrates were told Barry Pittaway was out with friends in The Fleece, in Victoria Road, when Stephen Sam-ways confronted him and, without warning, hit him in the chin with the heel of his hand before grabbing him by the collar and head-butting him.

However, Richmond magistrates heard that during a subsequent police interview, Samways told officers there was a history of bad blood between the two, and that Mr Pittaway had provoked him.

The court was told Mr Pittaway had once assaulted Samways outside a different pub and, although he never reported it to police, Mr Pittaway had continued to goad him about the incident.

Samways, of Grange Road, Catterick Garrison, said that the attack in The Fleece only happened as he had snapped when Mr Pittaway tried to block his path as he was leaving the pub.

Magistrates told him they were disgusted by his behaviour and fined him £200, ordered him to pay £55 costs and £100 compensation to Mr Pittaway. Samways was also bound over for two years in the sum of £500.