A London Irish rugby player from Feltham head butted a taxi marshal and punched him nine times in a row over his cab fare, a court was told.

Richard Skuse, 28, of Elvedon Road, Feltham, admitted a single charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm at Bristol Crown Court and was sentenced on Monday.

The 18st 2lb prop, who formerly played for Bristol Shoguns, had been drinking in Bristol on April 13 last year, when he left in a taxi to help track down his brother’s girlfriend’s handbag.

But prosecutor Paul Cook described how trouble started when Skuse, his brother and his brother’s girlfriend arrived at Abbey Taxi’s rank.

He said: "There was a falling out with the taxi driver over the fare and them being allowed to get out of the taxi," adding that taxi marshal, Colin Terry, became aware of the altercation and was sworn at when he tried to get involved.

The court heard how the group then walked off but were followed by Mr Terry and other marshals who were sworn at again and told to stop following.

Mr Cook said Skuse then turned around and squared up to Mr Terry. "He swung his head back and head butted Mr Terry, connecting with the bridge of his nose, and punched him eight times around his head and upper body.

"Mr Terry fell and grabbed Skuse’s legs and was punched again," said Mr Cook.

He said police arrived quickly at the scene in Manvers Street and arrested the defendant.

Ian Dixey, defending, said Skuse had been out with his brother in Bristol when his brother’s girlfriend arrived and said her handbag had been kept by the taxi driver who brought her from Bath.

He said the four travelled to Bath to retrieve the bag but a confrontation arose with taxi rank marshals, who Skuse told police had sworn at them and followed them.

Mr Dixey said his client, who was born in Bristol and had been a professional rugby player since leaving school when he was under contract to a club in the city, had never received a yellow card. "He comes across as the classic gentle giant," he said.

Sentencing Skuse, Recorder Mr Giles Harrap said: "The assault was an extremely serious one because it was committed at night on someone trying to protect taxi drivers. That’s what they are employed to do.

"I have taken into account that you have reached the age of 28 without committing any offence at all or being issued a card to indicate you were not behaving properly on the playing field."