A DUNFERMLINE man with four previous convictions for assault has been jailed for a brutal attack outside a town centre nightclub.

Graham Middleton, 27, of Kennedy Crescent, assaulted a drunk man “making a nuisance of himself” outside Johnson’s nightclub and knocked him unconscious.

The incident was captured in full on CCTV and shown in court. Shocked passers-by went to help the man as he lay motionless on a pavement.

The victim was rushed to hospital and found to have bleeding to the brain.

At Dunfermline Sheriff Court, Middleton admitted that on March 19 last year in Pilmuir Street, he assaulted the victim by striking him on the head, causing him to fall to the ground and hit his head on the pavement, rendering him unconscious, to his severe injury.

The CCTV showed the victim staggering about in the street, going over to Middleton and seemingly putting his arm around him before being punched, falling over and getting back up.

There was then a second punch which resulted in the victim falling down and hitting his head off the ground.

Depute fiscal Claire Bremner said: “The complainer went out in Dunfermline town centre socialising with a number of friends. During the course of the evening, he became extremely intoxicated and ended up in Johnson’s nightclub.

“He left at 12.10am intending to go home and at 12.20am the complainer is seen on CCTV walking away from Johnson’s.

“He seems to be staggering and it is clear he is heavily under the influence of alcohol. At that time, the accused is also in the area along with a friend.”

Of the second punch the depute said: “The complainer is immediately knocked unconscious and the accused and his friend are seen walking away.

“The complainer is tended to by passers-by who place him in the recovery position. The operators of the CCTV cameras contacted the police to tell them there was a man lying in the street not moving.

“When police arrived he was conscious and there was blood coming from his head.”

An ambulance took him to the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, where he told doctors he had no recollection of what had happened to him and complained of a pain in his head.

A CT scan showed there was bleeding to the brain, which was also swollen. Doctors called the neuro-surgical team at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, who advised them to keep the patient under observation for 48 hours.

The victim recovered without further treatment and he was discharged on March 21.

Middleton was identified by police officers who watched the CCTV.

He claimed he had been grabbed by the throat before throwing the punch which caused the injury and that the victim had been “in his face and acting aggressively”, added the depute.

Middleton told police: “I’m genuinely sorry” after hearing about the injuries caused.

Defence solicitor Stephen Morrison said: “It’s clear that the complainer, who was heavily intoxicated, made the approach and gave them unwanted attention.”

Sheriff Charles MacNair pointed out: “He could easily have walked away. If you see a drunk, you walk away, you don’t hit him. He hit him twice.”

Mr Morrison replied: “He accepts he could and should have walked away. He too was intoxicated.”

Sheriff MacNair told Middleton: “You were confronted with a very drunk man who was making a nuisance of himself. There’s nothing to stop you walking away but you don’t. You punch him, whereby he is rendered unconscious.”

He went on: “You have a bad record including two previous convictions on indictment for assault and also other offences of violence.”

The sheriff jailed Middleton for 10 months.