A man who repeatedly sprayed a noxious substance into a crowd and knocked a man unconscious during a brawl has been jailed.
James Mulla had been thrown out of a bar in Broad Street, Nottingham city centre, following an altercation with a group inside.
The fight spilled into the street with Mulla being observed to strike one man to the face around 11.45pm on 23 June 2023.
He then produced a cannister of some kind from his trousers and sprayed it into the rival group.
The brawl continued, with punches thrown and people kicked, before Mulla sprayed the substance into the crowd on multiple further occasions.
The 22-year-old then struck another man to the face causing him to fall backwards and lose consciousness.
During an ensuing melee the spray made contact with two door staff who were attempting to detain Mulla.
He walked away from the scene, passing the spray to a member of the group he was with before police arrived and arrested him.
The victim of the one-punch attack said he remembered being on a night out and then waking up in hospital. He suffered a fractured skull and bleed on the brain.
The door staff later told officers the spray had affected their vision and caused stinging to their eyes.
Mulla, of Tweed Walk, Hartlepool, County Durham, eventually pleaded guilty to two counts of administering a noxious substance with intent to injure and inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent.
He was sentenced to 23 months in jail at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday (9 October).
Detective Constable Sam Richardson, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“Mulla’s behaviour that night was appalling. He sprayed a substance indiscriminately into a busy crowd of people and punched a man with such force he was knocked unconscious.
“Although the spray was not recovered witnesses described it as being similar to a pepper spray.
“The venue and surrounding area were packed with people enjoying a night out – any one of whom could have been harmed by this substance.
“The incident also shows once again how just one punch can lead to serious injuries and grave consequences for everyone involved.”