An angry clubber punched a woman in the throat - after missing his intended target.

Simon Peter Scriven, aged 31 and of Bincleaves Road in Weymouth, admitted assault by beating after an incident in Maiden Street in which he aimed a punch at a man - but ended up hitting the woman standing behind him.

Prosecutor Elizabeth Valera told Weymouth Magistrates Court that in the early hours of Tuesday, June 26, the victim had been at Actors nightclub on Maiden Street in Weymouth, and had stepped outside for some air when she noticed what she described as 'an angry male'.

"[The defendant] was being ejected by security staff," Ms Valera said, reading out the victim's statement, which added that Scriven was 'shouting and swearing' and visibly drunk.

The victim said she then moved into an area covered by a CCTV camera for greater protection. A second man leaning on a wall nearby exchanged words with Scriven, Mrs Valera went on, before Scriven aimed a punch at him.

The defendant missed his target, however, and instead punched the female victim in the throat, leaving her in a great deal of pain, according to the statement.

Mitigating, Patricia Sheehan said the incident was 'regrettable'. Scriven, she said, was in the midst of a relationship break-up at the time, and the intended target of his attack had been his ex-girlfriend's new partner.

"He recently lost his job and home," Ms Sheehan said. "At the time of the incident, he had a lot of problems."

Chairman of the bench Karen Spooner handed down a conditional discharge for six months, noting that if it had not been for Scriven's pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity, the period would have been nine months.

The defendant, who has previous convictions for affray, was also ordered to pay compensation of £100.