A street marshal who punched a nightclubber and knocked him out has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Ajay Mahajan was a uniformed security official helping police control late-night disorder in Loughborough town centre when he and a colleague became involved in a confrontation with two men who had been thrown out of a nightclub.

The 21-year-old, from Holden Street, Leicester, appeared before Loughborough Magistrates yesterday to be sentenced after being found guilty of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour following a trial last month.

Richard Weedon, prosecuting, told the court the confrontation happened at about 2.15am on October 18, in High Street, Loughborough.

He said two troublesome men were evicted from the Wild nightclub and Mahajan and colleagues were called to try to move them out of the town centre.

Mr Weedon said there was a dispute and Mahajan punched one on the men in the face.

He said: "Mr Mahajan states it was in anticipation of him being hit, but there was no raised fist (from the defendant.)"

Barry Fairbairn, defending, said Mahajan had acted to try to defend a colleague who he thought was about to be assaulted by the victim.

He said Mahajan and his fellow street marshal had been racially abused by the victim, who was drunk and had been pestering women inside the club.

He said: "It appears there was racial invective delivered. That was the precursor.

"The defendant originally stood before the court with a colleague – a colleague he says he was protecting when he struck out.

"There was a hand moving out. He (Mahajan) took that hand to be a hand of aggression."

Mr Fairbairn said his client believed he was acting lawfully at the time and he told police he did not hit out "just for the sake of it".

He said Mahajan regretted what he had done and had voluntarily sought help from his doctor for dealing with anger.

Mr Fairbairn said: "Within his means, he has done everything he can to put this right.

"It wouldn't have happened if there had not been torrents of abuse and aggressive behaviour."

Chairman of the bench David Wormersley told Mahajan he had been guilty of a gross breach of trust by hitting the clubber while working as a street marshal.

Mr Wormersley, however, said the four-month sentence would be suspended for two years and ordered Mahajan to take an anger control course and pay £300 in court costs.