A DRUNK reveller who attacked a man in a taxi queue in the early hours of the morning has been banned from going out at the weekend until next year.

Jack Johnson was waiting for a cab in High Street, Colchester, at 3.50am when he punched his victim in the face three times.

Johnson, a construction worker, had to be restrained by witnesses until police officers turned up to arrest him.

During a police interview, the 27-year-old said he had drank “eight or nine” pints of beer and he “did not remember much”.

Colchester Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday that Johnson, of Tilbury Road, Great Yeldham, had knocked into the victim, spilling his drink and the victim had asked: “What did you do that for?” before the attack ensued.

Sentencing Johnson, District Judge John Woollard ordered him to stay at his girlfriend’s house, in Braintree, between 8.45pm and 5.45am between Thursday and Sunday, until January 2, 2017 so he could not go out drinking.

Mr Woollard added: “As a community, we spend a fortune on policing town centres like Colchester because of the way people behave when in drink.

“You are a hard-working man who, when you drink, thinks it is perfectly acceptable to get so intoxicated so you cannot even remember what happened.

“You are a powerfully-built young man and you could be facing very different charges there in the dock.

“This sort of behaviour is simply unacceptable.”

Johnson, who admitted assault by beating on August 21, was also ordered to pay £100 in compensation to the victim, £80 in court costs and £80 in charges.