A THUG knocked out two women in a Whitehaven bar, wrongly believing one of them had attacked his girlfriend.

Lee Gareth Park, 37, whose violence earned him a year in jail, first punched a woman customer in the face, knocking her to the floor, and then turned on the bar supervisor who tried to help his victim.

Both women were briefly rendered unconscious, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

Park, of Chapel Terrace, Thornhill, Egremont, admitted two counts of assault causing actual bodily harm.

Lucy Wright, prosecuting, said the violence erupted at TJ's Bar in Tangier Street, on December 23 last year. There was an earlier fallout, during which the defendant's girlfriend was attacked.

Park's reaction was to turn violent, but he attacked two women who had nothing to do with that earlier assault, the court heard.

Miss Wright described how Park had walked up to a woman called Michelle Frazer and punched her in the face with such force that she fell to the floor, unconscious.

When bar supervisor Stephanie Moffat intervened to protect Miss Frazer, Park turned on her, again punching her in the face.

"She also fell to the floor, and was rendered unconscious," said Miss Wright. Miss Frazer's injuries were the more serious.

She had to undergo emergency treatment from a dentist because of damage she sustained to two front teeth, and will need further treatment.

She has been left with ongoing pain. In her victim impact statement, Miss Frazer said she now suffered from panic attacks, and was afraid to leave her home.

She had been shocked by how badly she was affected.

"She is constantly looking over her shoulder," said Miss Wright. The barrister added that the defendant, appearing in court via a video link from prison, had 21 offences on his record which included previous violence.

Brendan Burke, for Park, said the defendant had been to a funeral, and had not gone out that day looking for trouble.

The barrister said: "He was minding his own business."

But his partner was attacked, and that was what prompted his reaction, though he struck out at the wrong person. But the defendant had expressed genuine remorse, said Mr Burke.

Judge James Adkin said the defendant's violence has had a long term effect on Miss Frazer, who had been vulnerable, and that neither of his victims had had been involved in the violence towards his girlfriend.

The judge also imposed a two year restraining order which prevents Park making any contact with Miss Frazer.