A MAN punched a woman so hard she fell off her bar stool.

Blackburn magistrates heard the incident happened in October and since then Lee Dennis Cassell had been dealt with for another assault on a man which resulted in the victim suffering permanent facial scarring.

Cassell, 43 of Peel Street, Haslingden, pleaded guilty to assaulting Sami Egan causing her actual bodily harm.

He was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison suspended for two years and ordered to do 150 hours' unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay £2,000 compensation, £115 victim surcharge and £85 victim surcharge and banned from entering the Commercial Hotel in Haslingden for two years.

Parveen Akhtar, prosecuting, said Cassell had initially pleaded not guilty to the charge and as a result the offence committed in January was dealt with first. He was made subject to a suspended prison sentence for that offence and ordered to pay £1,000 compensation.

Miss Akhtar said Miss Egan had been drinking in the Commercial with a female friend and they had been joined by Cassell who they both knew.

She was on a bar stool next to her friend and Cassell who she described as being involved in good-natured banter.

At about 10.30pm Cassell slapped the friend across the face causing her to fall to the floor.

“Miss Egan stood on the step of her bar stool and he punched her in the face, knocking her to the floor,” said Miss Akhtar.

“The next thing she knew she was sitting on a couch in the pub waiting for the ambulance to take her to hospital.”

Miss Akhtar said the victim suffered a cracked molar and two front crowns were damaged and she needed extensive dental surgery.

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Catherine Fell, defending, said Cassell had pleaded not guilty because he felt he had acted in self-defence.

He changed his plea after the police provided CCTV footage.

“He knows the victim and her friend and they had all been drinking in the Commercial for a number of hours,” said Miss Fell.

“There was a lot of banter and he accepts that at some stage he pushed the other woman.

“That was when the victim stood on the step of her stool and came face to face with him.

“He thought something was going to happen and punched her.

“It is not clear whether the punch or the fall caused the damage to her teeth.”