A MAN who said he was trying to protect a woman appeared in court charged with assault by beating.

Bradley Jay Devereux, 24, was said to have assaulted Jack White outside Tesco on August 8.

The defendant appeared at South Cumbria Magistrates' Court on September 11, where he pleaded to the charge.

He claimed he been trying to defend a woman after an altercation with a group outside the supermarket.

Prosecutor Diane Jackson told the court a group of men and women were involved in a 'disturbance' outside the store.

She said a woman got into an argument with a man and the defendant 'intervened'.

The court was shown CCTV images of the incident.

Devereux was said to have told police in interview: "I don't know when or how I did it."

His solicitor Maureen Fawcett said: "He realises he can get into trouble when he goes out drinking."

For the offence, district judge Gerald Chalk sentenced Devereux to a £250 fine acknowledging the offence was for 'protecting a third party'. The defendant was also told to pay £100 in compensation to Mr White, a £32 victim surcharge and £85 costs.