John Goddard, 53, received a five-month immediate custody sentence at Belfast Magistrates’ Court for common assault and resisting police. The charges stem from an incident outside The Points Bar on Dublin Road just before midnight on December 31.

Goddard, of no fixed abode, approached a man out with his partner and requested a cigarette. After a refusal, he insulted the man and punched him in the face. CCTV captured the blow knocking the victim back a considerable distance to the ground. The victim suffered a split lip.

Goddard tried to approach again until the partner intervened. Door supervisors from the pub then stopped further contact.

Police located Goddard in the Great Victoria Street area on January 11 using CCTV and witness statements. He shouted aggressively, tensed up, and refused instructions during arrest before officers took him to the ground.

Goddard admitted the charges. Defence counsel Michael Boyd noted his client's long history of street life and alcohol addiction, with the behaviour matching prior offences. District Judge Steven Keown imposed the sentence after crediting the guilty plea.