A TEENAGER watched horrified as a judge was shown a video of the 18-year-old's drunken violence outside a Redditch nightclub.

The CCTV film captured Benn Crookson knocking Tony Dienn to the ground before punching and kicking him unconscious.

Crookson's barrister, Ray Punia, said he became emotional when told the video would be shown in public at Worcester Crown Court.

The lout was on bail for attacking a Redditch taxi driver when he lost control outside the Silhouette club in Ipsley.

Judge Toby Hooper warned Crookson, of Carthorse Lane, Brockhill, that his behaviour justified detention in a young offenders' institution.

But "with great hesitation" he suspended a 10-month custodial sentence for nine months.

Crookson, employed by a company that erects exhibition stands, was also ordered to pay £400 compensation to Mr Dienn and £200 compensation to cabbie Mohammed Sabir, plus £200 court costs.

The judge ordered him to undergo a three-month curfew which prevented him leaving home between 8.30pm and 7.30am.

He pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm and assault by beating.

Mr Sabir was on his way back from getting petrol just after midnight on October 21 last year when his way was blocked by a gang of youths in the road.

Crookson came to his open window and asked: "Are you going to run me over ?" said prosecutor Peter Tooke.

When Mr Sabir replied "of course not", the teenager punched him in the face.

The taxi driver drove away and radioed for police to be alerted.

Crookson, who was arrested at the scene, said he was too drunk to remember how many lagers he had downed.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Sabir said: "You don't expect to be attacked trying to earn a living."

Three months later, Crookson was filmed pulling at Mr Dienn's jacket outside the club before viciously attacking the 27 year old.

The victim needed five stitches in a cut above his right eye and had other injuries to his head, arms and legs.

He said the attack had left him intimidated and worried to leave the safety of his home.

Crookson told police that both of them had been ejected from the club and he had acted in self-defence, said Mr Tooke.

He had a record of seven previous offences, two of them for battery.

Miss Punia accepted that Crookson posed a medium risk of further violence to the public.

She said he had been in a drunken stupour outside the club but was ashamed of his conduct. His family was deeply disappointed in him.

Crookson, who cried in the dock, had been terrified of being sent to custody, she added.