A Bolton man attacked his friend by kicking him as he lay on the ground  during a night out.

Joshua Gold had been out with a mate who he ended up playfighting with.

Bolton Crown Court heard  the pair exchanged blows on Nelson Square following an argument.

The other man pushed Gold and the two men squared up to each other.

Gold then punched the other man and knocked him to the floor and kicked him repeatedly.

Tobias Collins, prosecuting, said: “He walked away, removing his coat and leaving his friend on the floor.

“Joshua Gold was arrested running away down Back Castle Street.

“He said when he was being arrested ‘for defending myself, he hit me first’.

Gold was later released but rang the family of the man he attacked.

Mr Collins said: “He threatened to finish him off.

“He was arrested again and did not answer any questions.”

His victim was in hospital for four days with a fractured collar bone and eye socket.

Gold, 18 and from Clifton Street Farnworth, previously admitted grievous bodily harm on the basis that he had been attacked first but the defence was excessive and returned to court to be sentenced.

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Oliver Jarvis, defending, said he had been homeless at the time and had not had money for ADHD medication.

He said he had work as a roofer and his employers were going to send him to college to obtain a qualification.

He said: “These were two great friends who had both had far too much to drink.

“The presentence report states he is remorseful.

“It was utterly out of character, he is a man of previous good character.”

Judge Elliot Knopf said: “Kicking with a shod foot, I believe and I hope you appreciate the seriousness of what you did.

“He had a fractured eye socket and a fractured collar bone and was in hospital for three to four days.

“Had the injures been more serious you would have been looking at a very long period in custody."

He suspended a sentence of eight months for a year and ordered Gold to do 120 hours of unpaid work, 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days, take part in an alcohol abstinence monitoring programme and to pay costs of £300.