A FORMER top amateur boxer who struck a doorman has escaped jail.

Exeter Crown Court heard Samuel Cox, 26, of Lloyds Crescent, Whipton, was "showing off" when he accidentally punched a doorman outside a nightclub.

He was ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work in the community in the next year, for the incident outside the Q Club in Exmouth.

The court heard that Cox, who has been a champion super-heavyweight amateur boxer, was "show-boating", bouncing around on his heels and shadow-boxing in front of doorstaff after being ordered to leave the club, when he accidentally struck one of them in the face.

Recorder John Williams said he had been considering activating a suspended prison sentence, that Cox is already serving, until he heard about the circumstances of the incident.

The court heard that Cox has a criminal record for violence but has been making good progress with sorting his life out recently.

He was found guilty of assaulting the doorman by beating, at an earlier trial by city magistrates, and admitted this breached a suspended prison sentence.

Prosecutor Howard Phillips said Cox was ordered to leave the club because of his behaviour, in the early hours of February 13 this year. Mr Phillips said: "They put him out with some degree of force, in a headlock, putting him out on the street. He was heavily in drink.

"His behaviour was described by doorstaff, which the magistrates accepted, as showing off, showboating.

"He was bouncing around on his heels like a boxer. He threw a punch, which magistrates said was reckless rather than deliberate, as he misjudged the length."

A doorman was caught in the mouth, suffering a cut there and an aching jaw, with Cox then restrained by his colleagues and police.

Mr Phillips said the defendant had several previous convictions for violence, including an offence of wounding.

Defence counsel James Taghdissian said Cox had not deliberately been causing trouble inside the club.

He added the defendant was unemployed but was keen to set up his own business.

Recorder Williams told Cox: "It's quite clear that when you are in drink, you can be violent, but now you are making great improvements and are spoken highly of."

He told him: "I think you need to cut out the booze a bit or you'll end up doing things you regret and someone like me will have to send you to prison."

Cox was Western Counties Super-heavyweight champion in 2007 and Dorset, Devon and Cornwall winner in the same weight the following year.