Good Samaritan punched to the ground in brawl outside Glitter Ball in Sunderland city centre

Magistrates slammed Mitchell Stockton, 21, for misplaced violence that left his victim apparently unconscious during a brawl.

Stockton, of Fern Crescent, Parkside, Seaham, knocked the man down with a single punch in a case of mistaken identity outside the Glitter Ball club.

Believing he had attacked his female cousin, he whacked him twice more after he stumbled dazed to his feet on Saturday, July 2, leaving him lying motionless.

South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard his victim, who was similarly dressed to an assailant who had struck his relative, smacked his head on the pavement as he fell.

Prosecutor Paul Anderson said the attack left him needing five staples to a head wound and with a swollen lip.

The fight, which lasted around 30 seconds, was caught by CCTV operators and played to the court.

Sparing Stockton jail, Kay Gilbert, chair of the bench, told him: “What we saw on the video was appalling and disgusting.

“One punch is all it takes to kill somebody, and you’re lucky that after giving someone three punches they weren’t dead on the ground.

“You’d been out all night.

"It’s very sad, you were of previous good character. You’ve blotted your copybook.”

Mr Anderson revealed: “His victim was seriously assaulted for something that had nothing to do with him. He was just passing by.

“The gentleman in question says he was going to the Port of Call bar and saw a lot of people kicking off.

“He saw one person who appeared to be getting a lot of hassle and tried to take him away.

“He said he went with good intentions but that the next thing he was lying flat out.

“His injuries weren’t as bad as they might have been. He had lacerations from hitting his head on the ground.”

Stockton, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Tom Morgan, defending, confirmed Stockton had believed his victim to be the man who had assaulted his cousin.

He added: “He thought he was doing right by her, but he wasn’t. He made a poor decision and has come to face the music.”

Stockton was sentenced to a one-year community order, with 225 hours of unpaid work.

He must pay his victim £400 compensation, with a £114 victim surcharge and £150 court costs.