AN UNEMPLOYED man with a £10,000-a-year cocaine habit punched a former friend repeatedly in a club car park after they “fell out over a girl”.

A hearing at Newport Crown Court was told that Joshua Evans drove to the city's Ferns club and attacked Ryan Steele following a dispute over the defendant’s partner.

The 22-year-old, of Mount Pleasant Road, Risca, pleaded guilty to common assault, committed in September last year.

Harry Baker, prosecuting, said Evans was punched in the jaw and hit four or five times in total, leaving him “dazed and confused”.

The attack has left the victim with a small scar at the top of his lip.

Ieuan Bennett, mitigating, said his client was described as “rather immature” and had “a massive problem with drugs and clocked up a £6,000 debt”.

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke told the court that Evans had a £10,000-a-year cocaine habit.

Mr Bennett added: “He needs to settle down and get a job and lead an honest life.

“The defendant is in debt, he is unemployed and lives with his mother. He now stands on the brink.”

The court was told Evans had previous convictions for a non-dwelling burglary, criminal damage and battery.

Judge Lloyd-Clarke told him: “You and Mr Steele had been friends for over two years and you had fallen out over a girl.

“On September 15, 2018, you went to the car park of The Ferns club believing the victim had been verbally abusive about your girlfriend.

“You punched him repeatedly in the face and he became dazed and confused.”

The judge said that although the offence crossed the custody threshold, she could suspend his prison sentence and ordered him to undertake a drug rehabilitation requirement (DRR) programme to help with his cocaine addiction.

Evans was jailed for three months, suspended for 18 months, told to complete a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement, and made subject of the DRR for 12 months.

He was also placed on an electronically monitored curfew for two months and ordered to pay a victim surcharge.