A MAN was told he was lucky he didn’t kill two drinkers after knocking them out outside a pub.

Dean Jones, 25, left Jacob Harnett and Lee Phillips unconscious when he punched them with brutal blows in front of the Iron Duke in Pontypool town centre.

The defendant also assaulted two women, Keri Perrett and Carys Williams, who were with the men by pushing them to the ground.

Nigel Fryer, prosecuting, played CCTV footage capturing the assaults on the night of Saturday, July 10.

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Newport Crown Court heard how the victims had been asked to leave the pub just prior to being attacked and got into a spat with Jones.

Mr Phillips was taken to hospital by ambulance and has been left with a permanent scar after needing stitches above his left eye.

Jones said in his police interview he had been threatened that night in the pub and had been told: “My boyfriend’s going to smash you.”

He claimed he had struck them in self-defence.

The defendant, of Folly View Lane, Upper Race, Pontypool, admitted two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of assault by beating.

He was a man of previous good character with no convictions recorded against him.

Martha Smith-Higgins, representing the defendant, urged the court to suspend the inevitable jail sentence as there was a “realistic prospect of rehabilitation”.

Judge Daniel Williams told Jones: “The four victims of violence had been out on July 10 in Pontypool and had been asked to leave the premises.

“You are seen on the CCTV footage rolling your shoulders preparing to assault them.

“You punched Jacob Harnett causing him to go to the ground and then you punched Lee Phillips rendering him unconscious.

“You could have killed either of these men with your punches.

“They were extremely drunk.”

Jones was jailed for 12 months, suspended for 18 months.

He was ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work and complete a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

The defendant was made the subject of a three-month electronically monitored curfew between 7pm and 7am.

Jones was ordered to pay £420 prosecution costs and a £156 victim surcharge.