'Thug' who rained punches on prone pubgoer jailed

Darren Barrow was jailed for two years and two months for grievous bodily harm

A man who walked away from an unconscious pubgoer after repeatedly punching him in the face as he lay on the floor has been jailed for two years and two months.

Darren Barrow, 39, was seen having words with the man in the Marine Hotel in Peel on 30 December before the two men got into a fight outside.

Douglas Courthouse heard witnesses saw Barrow knock him to the ground before continuing to hit him in the face for another 15 seconds.

Deemster Graeme Cook said Barrow's behaviour was "thuggery at its worst".

'Restraining order'

The court heard Barrow had been drinking in the pub on Peel Promenade at about 22:30 GMT before he approached the other man.

A witness said she had seen the two men have a verbal argument in the pub before later spotting them fighting outside.

Barrow left the scene after onlookers pulled him away from his unconscious victim, and an ambulance was called.

The court heard the man suffered a broken nose and fractured eye socket in the assault.

Barrow was arrested by police the following day and later pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm.

Prosecutors told the court that, at the time of the December incident, Barrow was on probation for assaulting the same man in January 2024.

Deemster Cook said the type of behaviour displayed by Barrow on streets around the island was making some places "unsafe".

The Isle of Man could "do without complete thuggery", he added.

Barrow was also given a restraining order which bans him from contacting or approaching the man he had twice assaulted.