A MAN who assaulted the same person twice on the same night was told to expect a prison sentence on his return to court later this month.

The warning was given to Christopher Nixon after he was convicted of two assaults following a trial at Durham Crown Court.

Thirty-three-year-old Nixon denied charges of assault by beating and assault causing actual bodily harm, arising from violence meted out on a man both inside and outside Blackhall Community Centre, in east Durham.

Katherine Stuckey, prosecuting, said both Nixon and the victim were attending a live band night at the centre, on May 17 last year.

During the course of the evening Nixon was said to have struck the victim, a 57-year-old local man, with a single punch to the face in an apparently unprovoked attack.

Then, as the victim was leaving the event, Nixon was accused of following him and assaulting him a second time.

In this case he punched him several times, knocking him to the ground, where he was said to have kicked him, leaving him unconscious.

Miss Stuckey said Nixon was recognised and identified as a local man.

The victim received hospital treatment for a badly swollen face, cuts and bruising round the head, but suffered no fractures.

Nixon, of Burns Avenue, Blackhall, said he believed the victim was staring at him prior to the first alleged attack, and landed a single blow when he approached him in the venue.

But he denied responsibility for the attack outside, claiming it was another local man who he recognised but was not prepared to name.

The jury returned unanimous ‘guilty’ verdicts on both counts on the fourth day of the trial.

Stephen Constantine, mitigating, told the court Nixon has been on a supervision order for a previous conviction and said he believed the preparation of a background report would assist when he is sentenced.

He asked for Nixon to be granted bail in the intervening period before the sentencing hearing.

But Judge Simon Hickey rejected that request, telling Nixon: “You know full well that committing offences of this nature, given your record, custody is inevitable, and there will be a substantial risk of further offending.

“Assaulting a man, knocking him to the ground and leaving him unconscious always attracts a custodial sentence.”

He remanded Nixon in custody pending sentence on May 29.