A MAN who elbowed a woman in the face who was trying to stop a fight later told police he "should have headbutted her", a court heard.

Timothy Branford was with a group of people in a pizza shop after a night out in Kidderminster on October 24 when a fight erupted and police arrived to a woman crying with a redness to her face.

Leslie Ashton, prosecuting, said: "The officers we stationed outside a pizza shop. They could see there was a number of males and females inside the shop including the victim and the defendant.

"A man came out of that shop and started waving at the officers. They came over and saw a female being comforted with a small red swelling.

"Two men had been fighting and one had left prior to them arriving. She [the victim, Natasha Baker] agreed she tried to stop any trouble between the two men [which included the defendant, Brandford] and was pushed back."

But, Ms Ashton added two witnesses from the scene said they saw Branford hit the victim in the face with his elbow and it was not merely a push away.

After he was arrested at the scene, he was taken into a cell at the police station and while in custody he was reported to have become abusive and said to police he "should have headbutted her."

In mitigation, John Rogers said the 35-year-old was under the influence of alcohol and has little memory of the incident and has to believe what the witnesses have said.

He said: "He says this total stranger came up to him and the two came to blows."

Branford, of Walter Nash Road West, Kidderminster, pleaded guilty to assault by beating when he appeared at Kidderminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday, November 6.

District Judge Nigel Cadbury sentenced the defendant to a community order with an eight-week curfew between 9pm and 7am to be electronically monitored.

District Judge Cadbury said: "You're out and about in the night with too much to drink and this is designed to stop that, especially over Christmas."

Branford was also ordered to pay £100 compensation to Natasha Baker, £150 in court charges, £105 in prosecution costs and a £60 victim surcharge.