A BRUTAL Branchton thug who repeatedly booted a young man on the head after knocking him unconscious outside a Greenock nightclub has been ordered to pay his victim compensation as part of a community-based punishment.

John Paul Bennett was spared a prison sentence and given unpaid work hours and an electronic tag instead after the vicious attack in Dalrymple Street last year.

Bennett, 24, savagely assaulted the 20-year-old victim in June 2022 after the pair were kicked out of Word Up in the early hours.

A fiscal depute told the last calling of the case in November: "On the evening of June 18 last year the witness [complainer] was out with a friend and alcohol was consumed; they entered the club at around 9pm.

"The accused and the witness were escorted out of the club at around 2.45am. A female was seen pushing the accused away from the witness.

"A door steward waited for him to leave before escorting the witness away. He was drunk and his next memory is being within Inverclyde Royal Hospital."

READ MORE: Businessman guilty of threatening or abusive behaviour against police officer wife

The incident, during which Bennett punched the other man 11 times and kicked him three times before fleeing the scene, was observed by members of the public and first aid was delivered by door stewards.

The attacker struck the victim on a footpath outside the venue and caused him to fall to the ground before Bennett further punched and kicked him on the head whilst he was unconscious all to his severe injury.

The fiscal depute previously said: "The complainer had a fractured left cheek and left sinus. He suffered extensive soft tissue damage and bruising to his face and he was referred to a specialist hospital department for treatment."

Following a police appeal for information, Bennett, who has no previous convictions, was arrested and charged over the incident around a week later.

An 'assault to danger of life' allegation was subsequently removed from the indictment.

Last week, Bennett, of Dunnet Place, was ordered to pay the victim £1,000 compensation and complete 225 hours of unpaid within the next year.

He will also be supervised by social workers for 12 months and must remain at his home address between the hours of 7pm-7am each night for the next eight months.