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A city nightclubber was left permanently deaf in one ear after he was punched in an unprovoked attack.
Richard Dalgleish was hit by another man while in the queue for the city's Timepiece nightclub in May.
He suffered a fracture to the base of his skull which has left him deaf in his left ear and suffering from tinnitus - a ringing noise in the ears.
Yesterday, Darren Bird, 24, of The Heathers, Okehampton, pleaded guilty at Exeter Magistrates' Court to causing Mr Dalgleish grievous bodily harm.
The court was told that Bird and a group of friends were standing in front of Mr Dalgleish and his friends, waiting to be let into the city nightspot in the early hours of the morning.
Prosecutor Warjinder Sadeghi said there was an exchange between the two groups and Bird suddenly punched Mr Dalgleish.
The victim lost consciousness and was motionless on the ground. He was taken to hospital by ambulance.
Door staff witnessed the incident and detained Bird who tried to escape when the police were called. His shirt was ripped in the struggle.
Vanessa Francis, for Bird, told the court he had been out drinking with his friends that night and that he had told police that Mr Dalgleish and his group had been calling his group derogatory names and making comments.
She said that Bird felt threatened and maintained that he did not go to punch the victim despite seeing CCTV of the incident.
She told magistrates that Bird went to leave the queue and put his arm up to push people out of the way and caught Mr Dalgleish in the face.
He said his hand did come into contact with the victim's face without warning but that he did not punch him.
She said Bird was a man of good character with no previous convictions.
Magistrates told Bird: "This is quite a serious incident as there was permanent injury to the complainant and it was unprovoked."
They sent the case to Exeter Crown Court for sentencing on November 16. Bird was granted conditional bail.
A city nightclubber was left permanently deaf in one ear after he was punched in an unprovoked attack.
Richard Dalgleish was hit by another man while in the queue for the city's Timepiece nightclub in May.
He suffered a fracture to the base of his skull which has left him deaf in his left ear and suffering from tinnitus - a ringing noise in the ears.
Yesterday, Darren Bird, 24, of The Heathers, Okehampton, pleaded guilty at Exeter Magistrates' Court to causing Mr Dalgleish grievous bodily harm.
The court was told that Bird and a group of friends were standing in front of Mr Dalgleish and his friends, waiting to be let into the city nightspot in the early hours of the morning.
Prosecutor Warjinder Sadeghi said there was an exchange between the two groups and Bird suddenly punched Mr Dalgleish.
The victim lost consciousness and was motionless on the ground. He was taken to hospital by ambulance.
Door staff witnessed the incident and detained Bird who tried to escape when the police were called. His shirt was ripped in the struggle.
Vanessa Francis, for Bird, told the court he had been out drinking with his friends that night and that he had told police that Mr Dalgleish and his group had been calling his group derogatory names and making comments.
She said that Bird felt threatened and maintained that he did not go to punch the victim despite seeing CCTV of the incident.
She told magistrates that Bird went to leave the queue and put his arm up to push people out of the way and caught Mr Dalgleish in the face.
He said his hand did come into contact with the victim's face without warning but that he did not punch him.
She said Bird was a man of good character with no previous convictions.
Magistrates told Bird: "This is quite a serious incident as there was permanent injury to the complainant and it was unprovoked."
They sent the case to Exeter Crown Court for sentencing on November 16. Bird was granted conditional bail.
