A man who punched and kicked a friend as he lay unconscious on the ground with a fractured skull has been jailed for two years.

Exeter Crown Court heard the victim and his attacker were drinking in Strikers Bar in East Street, Newton Abbot and had been playing pool during a lengthy drinking session.

Prosecutor Ann Redrobb said the violence broke out late in the evening after some comments over a woman.

The victim, David James, was then approached by Michael Marlow and the next thing he remembered was waking up in hospital.

The prosecutor said there was some shouting and screaming from the pool table area of the bar and a scuffle then broke out.

The rear entrance doors from the pub, leading out on to Carlisle Street, were on the latch because it was a warm evening and Mr James fell out through the doors. He fell backwards hitting his head on the concrete.

While he was lying unconscious on the ground Marlow punched him several times in the head leaving him motionless and covered in blood. Then, as someone tried to pull Marlow off his victim, the defendant kicked him to the head.

Mr James was taken to hospital and kept in overnight for observation. Later a scan revealed the skull fracture. Following that, Mr James was given a CT brain scan which revealed bruising to the brain. Doctors reported that the injuries were consistent with a significant blow to the back of the head and blows to the left side of the face. Mr James needed sutures to repair a cut to his eyebrow.

Miss Redrobb said on the night of the incident Marlow had gone to the police station and told them that he had assaulted someone.

'He was looking jolly and pleased with himself although the worse for drink,' said the prosecutor. She added that when the police said the incident had not been reported Marlow said: 'You mean I have got away with it.'

Later, when he was interviewed, Marlow said there had been an incident between the two men but the victim had punched him first and he had retaliated.

When that account was challenged by the police, Marlow accepted, in broad terms, what witnesses had seen had happened. But he said he could not remember kicking the victim.

Mitigating, Rupert Taylor said it was an unusual case because the two men were friends and there had never been any difficulties between them.

'There was some teasing, fuelled by oceans of alcohol and the defendant was struck by the victim. The difficulty and tragedy of this case is that when Mr James fell through the door, Marlow should have stopped there. But, in a moment of madness, he kicked the man on the ground,' said Mr Taylor. 'He is now fully aware of the potential consequences of such actions.'

Mr Taylor said this was a case of Marlow 'truly going over the top in self defence'.

He said Marlow was a skilled sheet metal worker and sending him to prison would achieve nothing.

Twenty-eight-year-old Marlow, of Drakes Close, Newton Abbot, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to Mr James in September last year.

Passing the prison sentence Judge Jeremy Griggs told Marlow: 'Clearly you have a significant problem with alcohol and when you were extremely drunk you got involved in this fight. In that fight the victim fell out of the door onto the concrete and fractured his skull. When he was unconscious you kicked him while he was on the ground. This was a serious offence of violence which merits a substantial custodial sentence.'