A PUNCH-up at a Selby night club has cost a man £650.

Phillip Dave Mansell, 23, admitted punching Nicholas Chapman twice in Jems night club, Selby, on August 29, the town's magistrates heard.

Helen Dawson, prosecuting, said it was an "unprovoked attack".

She said Mr Chapman had been sitting alone in the night club watching his girlfriend dance with a friend.

While he was looking around the room he saw Mansell looking at him.

When he glanced at the defendant again Mansell told him to stop looking at him and Mr Chapman apologised.

She said that Mansell then came up to Mr Chapman and punched him on his right cheek, causing him to bite the inside of his mouth. He then punched him again.

She said that Mr Chapman, who had not retaliated at all during the attack, had been left with a graze to the top of his head and some swelling. His ears were also bruised.

Mansell, who had to be pulled off Mr Chapman by doorstaff at the night club, told police that Mr Chapman had pulled back his clenched fist as if he was going to hit him so he had punched him first.

Ben Hibbert, mitigating, said Mansell had been out celebrating his birthday, and while he was in the night club he thought a man was looking at him in an intimidating way.

He said that Mansell, a process operator with a firm at Pollington, lived with his parents and had to care for his mother, who was extremely ill with cancer.

Mansell, of Bridge House, Pollington, was fined £400 with £150 costs. He was also ordered to pay £100 in compensation.

Updated: 12:30 Saturday, February 15, 2003