A MAN has been banned from Kuda Nightclub for a year after he assaulted a member of staff.

Lewis Carl Tolson, 27, was harassing women at the venue in Clifford Street, York, shortly before midnight and slapped one woman on her bottom, said Kathryn Reeve, prosecuting.

When a doorman threw him out Tolson called him a racist name four times and punched him hard in the face, dislodging one of his teeth.

York magistrates heard Tolson had been drinking all day.

Tolson, of Bradford Road, Huddersfield, pleaded guilty to a racist assault.

He was ordered to do 200 hours’ unpaid work, put under a nightly curfew for four months, ordered to pay £260 compensation to the doorman and a £85 statutory surcharge and banned from the club for 12 months.

The court heard he is a full-time carer for his father, who has mental health issues, and had no previous convictions.

For Tolson, Rachel Sharpe said he had been drunk and couldn’t remember using the racist word, which had been out of character.

He had an old arm injury which had hurt when the doorman took his arm so he punched him in the face. He had apologised during his police interview.

Ms Reeve said Tolson initially refused to leave Kuda on August 13 last year so the doorman took hold of his arm and started walking him out. As he did so, Tolson complained that the doorman was hurting him, so the staff member let his arm go and continued walking him out of the building.

As they went down the stairs, Tolson insulted him racially then pushed another doorman out of the way before punching the victim.