A MAN who tried to stop a fight ended up being punched unconscious, a court heard yesterday.

Barry Greaves, 20, and Mark Wilks, 22, both of Fitzwilliam Street, Redcar, east Cleveland, admitted a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm to John McGuinness.

Shaun Dodds, prosecuting at Teesside Crown Court, told how Mr McGuiness had been walking home after a night out in Redcar last October, when he saw a fight taking place between Wilks and a 15-year-old boy. Greaves was watching the fight.

Mr Dodds said Wilks was getting the better of the boy, and Mr McGuiness decided to intervene. Mr McGuiness got hold of Wilks and threw him off the young boy.

Greaves, thinking his friend was going to be attacked, punched Mr McGuiness to the head. The victim fell over, banging his head on the ground, said Mr Dodds.

Both of the defendants then punched Mr McGuiness and he was left unconscious. Both admitted in police interview to having been drinking.

Mr McGuiness was left with a broken nose and bruising and swelling to his face.

Mr Dodds said Greaves had a previous conviction for common assault and Wilks had previous convictions for being drunk and disorderly.

Nigel Wray, for Greaves, and David Lamb, for Wilks, said their clients were full of remorse and the incident was out of character for them.

Judge Peter Fox QC jailed Wilks for 12 months and sent Greaves to a young offenders' institution for 12 months.