A MAN who attacked two women before knocking a peacemaker unconscious when he tried to break up the fight was found by police hiding under his bed, a court heard.

Robert Orr had been at a 21st birthday party in Oxford city centre and had drunk 10 pints of beer when a row erupted between him and Cecilia Mbaki, Oxford Crown Court was told.

Cathy Olliver, prosecuting, said Orr had been giving Miss Mbaki and her friend Amy Pullen some unwanted attention outside the Odeon cinema in Gloucester Green. She told the court that when Miss Mbaki pushed Orr away, he punched her, knocking her to the ground, and then punched Miss Pullen when she tried to protect her friend.

Miss Olliver added: “Declan Witcher stepped between them to try to protect them, saying he shouldn’t be hitting girls. He was punched to the floor and rendered unconscious.”

Claire Fraser, defending, said Orr, of The Midway, Newcastle, was disgusted at himself and had been hiding under his bed when police arrived to arrest him. She added: “Slightly embarrassing for him, he was found under his bed. He said he was disgusted at what he had done.” Orr admitted two charges of common assault and one count of actual bodily harm at Oxford Crown Court on Friday, July 3.

At a sentencing hearing yesterday, Judge Ian Pringle said if Orr had not pleaded guilty he would have jailed him for a year.

He added: “I don’t need to underline to you the number of times I have seen people coming to court because one punch has killed.

“You could have been facing manslaughter.”

But he spared Orr jail, by giving him an eight-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months.