A man who pulled a woman to the ground by her hair before ‘felling’ a man with a punch in a ‘vicious’ attack outside McDonalds in High Wycombe has avoided jail.

Jake Cohen, 22, of Hawthorn Road, Princes Risborough, received an 18 month sentence suspended for 24 months at Amersham Law Courts this morning.

He had pleaded guilty to a charge of affray following an incident near McDonalds in High Street, in the early hours of Sunday, August 9, which was caught on CCTV.

Judge Justin Cole said Cohen ‘attacked’ victim Miranda Weston, pulling her to the ground by her hair before punching a man, Damian Martin, and ‘felling’ him.

Mr Quinn, defending Cohen, a landscape gardener who lives with his parents, said the attack was committed in ‘blind alcohol’ and said he has expressed remorse for what happened.

He said: “It is disgraceful behaviour and he accepts this. He has expressed his remorse since he first went to the police station.

“The girl did nothing wrong and the boy he went for seems to have done nothing wrong and he accepts that. Miranda was pulled to the floor by her hair.

“He is not really a drinker, he is not a regular drinker and he would often be the designated driver on a night out. When he does drink, he seems to drink too much. It was clearly in blind alcohol.

“He does not even like to look at the CCTV footage because he finds it embarrassing. He acknowledges it was wrong to do what he did. He must pay the price for his crime. He has expressed his remorse throughout to the victims.”

Mr Quinn said Cohen suffered an injury to his finger in the attack and could not work after the incident.

Passing sentence, Judge Cole said Cohen was ‘extremely lucky’ to avoid jail.

He said: “I have seen the footage which is very clear. You behaved in a bullying and cowardly manner and a very vicious manner.

“You attacked a girl, how brave of you, and pulled her to the ground. You then approached a gang of males and attempted to headbutt one male and felled him with one very powerful punch.

“You are described as a man of good character but you are not. In 2010 you accepted a caution for battery.

“A custodial sentence is justified but I have just about been persuaded to suspend your sentence as it is your first criminal conviction and you admitted guilt.

“You have been extremely lucky. Before mitigation, I was determined that there would be an immediate custodial sentence.”

Giving ‘full credit’ to Cohen for pleading guilty to a ‘very nasty affray’, Judge Cole warned him that a jail term is likely if he commits any other crime during his suspended sentence.

Cohen must also complete 300 hours of unpaid work, pay a total of £1000 compensation, split equally between two of the victims and is subject to a curfew every night from 7pm to 6am for three months.