A "drunken yob", who broke a taxi driver's eye socket after downing seven pints of lager and shots avoided a jail sentence.

Peter Dell, 25, punched Abdec Moustaghfir repeatedly after running up a £90 fare on a "circuitous route" from St Albans to the television studios at Elstree.

Dell, of Linton Avenue, Borehamwood, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm on April 6 this year. He had no previous convictions for violence, but had some drink-related offences, St Albans crown court heard today when he was sentenced.

Prosecutor Michael Shaw told the court that Mr Moustaghfir picked up Dell in St Peter's Street, St Albans. Dell asked to be taken to his home in Borehamwood, but persuaded Mr Moustaghfir to first take him to a petrol station, where he failed to obtain any cash, and then to Elstree, where he said he would find a friend who would pay.

Dell got out of the taxi at the studios and called out for a friend called Steve, who was working on security. The driver feared he was not going to be paid and went over to Dell and the security guard. When the driver asked for his money Dell punched him a number of times in the face, before the security guard pulled him off.

The police and an ambulance crew were called. Mr Moustaghfir was taken to hospital. He was treated for a broken eye socket, which has since healed.

Defence barrister Sean Smith said Dell had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and showed genuine remorse from the beginning. He went on: "When the police arrived at the scene Mr Dell put his hands out in anticipation of arrest. He said: 'I just hit him. I ain't going to deny it.'"

Mr Smith said Dell, who has always been in full-time work, had saved £500 to pay the victim compensation.

He said: "Drink has been a problem and he is making efforts to stay sober. He needs to grow up and not appear before the courts again. He was shocked by what he had done and had not gone out to drink since."

Mr Smith asked for Dell not to be sent straight to prison, saying he could carry out unpaid work, receive alcohol treatment in the community and could be banned from pubs.

Recorder David Mayall agreed. He passed a six-month jail sentence suspended for 18 months. Dell will be supervised by probation officers for 12 months, must attend a Drinkwise course, carry out 100 hours' unpaid work and abide by a six-month curfew between 9.30pm and 5.30am. He must pay Mr Moustaghfir £500 compensation and £200 prosecution costs.

The judge told Dell: "This was a totally unprovoked attack. You broke the eye socket of a man trying to earn his wages in the middle of the night when he was attacked by a drunken yob."