An Ilminster man who carried out a savage attack on a man outside a town centre pub the night after the town carnival faces sentencing at crown court due to the seriousness of the offence.

Witnesses described the victim as “flying out of the doorway” of the Crown Inn after being pushed violently from behind by Christopher James Pryer and landing flat on his face.

He then came running out of the pub behind him and kicked the victim while he was lying motionless on the ground and then stamped on his back, before he was pulled away.

Pryer, 26, of Rutters Lane, admitted assaulting Mark Clydesdale causing him actual bodily harm during the incident, on October 3, when he appeared before Somerset Magistrates.

The court at Yeovil was told that Mr Clydesdale went to the Crown Inn, in West Street, at 2pm to celebrate the town’s carnival and was in good spirits while drinking cider.

Prosecutor Lucy Coleman said the manager was aware of some animosity between the victim and defendant and at 11.20pm was on his break outside the pub.

“Suddenly he saw the victim flying out of the doorway after being pushed violently from behind while he was having a cigarette,” she said.

“He landed on his face on the pavement and was lying motionless and someone went to help him but before they could reach him Pryer ran out of the door and kicked him to the head and body then stamped on him in quick succession.

“He received two kicks and one stamp while he lay on the floor and a witness then pulled Pryer away but he twisted violently and got free.

“The defendant lunged at the witness [and swore at him] while Mr Clydesdale was still on the pavement and an ambulance was then called.”

The victim came round and was treated at the scene and attended hospital the next day suffering from grazing and swelling to his face, eye and mouth, lacerations to the inside of his mouth and bruised ribs.

Miss Coleman said the incident was caught on CCTV and showed a repeated assault where the victim was kicked and then stamped on the back.

The magistrates said the offence was so serious that Pryer should be sent to Taunton Crown Court to be sentenced as they felt their powers of punishment were not sufficient.

They ordered him to appear there on January 8 and in the meantime ordered the Probation Service to prepare a pre sentence report.

Until his next court appearance the defendant was released on bail with conditions that he must not contact Mark Clydesdale directly or indirectly and must not go to the Crown Inn in Ilminster.