A FALMOUTH man punched a woman and her daughter to the floor during a street brawl, a court heard.

Steven Paul Stivey, aged 57, had been drinking in the town's Arwenack Club with his former partner, who he was banned from seeing as part of a restraining order issued by Bodmin magistrates last year.

Before Truro magistrates on Monday, prosecutor Anita Kennett explained that on April 7 this year, Stivey, of Treverbyn Road, had had four or five pints "which was an unusual amount for him".

Despite being the subject of a restraining order imposed on July 30 last year, Stivey was socialising with his former partner and while they were in the Arwenack Club, they met her daughter and her friends.

An argument ensued and his former partner said she was going to leave. Stivey went outside to wait for them across the street and grabbed her arm when they came outside.

Security staff told him to walk away but it flared up again, resulting in him punching the daughter and her mother twice each, knocking them to the ground.

Probation officer Tony Ciocci said that while Stivey accepted he had offended, he did not have a clear recollection of what happened.

Stivey had committed similar offences before, but there had been a "considerable gap" since the last incident of a similar nature.

Mr Ciocci added that Stivey recognised he "does not deal with his temper as well as he ought to" and had sought help from his GP to address it.

There was evidence that Stivey, who works in the building trade, had had numerous exchanges with his former partner and there was "two sides to every coin", but accepted that it was he who was the subject of the restraining order.

Defending himself, Stivey said: "I got a good kicking out of it from a couple of people and I informed the police, but nothing has ever been done."

Stivey pleaded guilty to two counts of assault by beating and one of breaching a restraining order.

Magistrates imposed a two-year community order on him and placed him on an 8pm-6am curfew for six weeks, when he must be present at his home address.

The restraining order forbidding him to contact his former partner remains in place and the chairman of the bench Fran Tregaskes said: "If you see her, ignore her, turn around and walk away."

Stivey was also ordered to pay £85 victim surcharge and £85 costs.