JCB welder Craig Caddy punched a taxi driver after the victim argued with his partner over a fare.

Caddy was asleep in bed at his Biddulph home when his partner returned home after a night out in Congleton with friends.

The 26-year-old heard a commotion outside his house in Rupert Street and went to see what was going on.

But instead of calming the situation, the dad was abusive to the driver and punched him in the face, causing a cut to his lower lip.

Caddy denied racially aggravated assault by beating.

But he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of common assault on the day of his trial yesterday.

The pleas were accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service and the defendant was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 180 hours of unpaid work.

It came after a probation officer gave a verbal report about Caddy to Judge Robert Trevor-Jones.

She said the defendant, who is valued by his employer, reacted instinctively and accepted that what he did was inappropriate and totally unacceptable.

The officer added that the defendant has a previous conviction for violence, a drunken affray in 2002 when he was aged 18, but is now a family man with a large mortgage.

He also played semi-professional football on Saturdays and for a pub side on Sundays.

The officer told the court she did not perceive Caddy to be a risk of re-offending.

Trevor Meegan, mitigating, asked for the defendant to be sentenced to a community order with unpaid work.

"He wasn't in the taxi," said Mr Meegan. "He doesn't know what was agreed or not agreed (regarding the fare).

"He got up and, confronted with the situation outside, he over-reacted."

As well as the unpaid work, Caddy was ordered to pay his victim £200 compensation, as well as £500 towards prosecution costs.

Judge Trevor-Jones told him: "This is not the first incident of violent behaviour by you.

"It wasn't you that started the confrontation between your partner and the taxi driver.

"Nevertheless you did become involved.

"You made a very serious error of judgment. You struck him causing minor injury to his mouth. You were abusive to him.

"The courts have to deal with a number of cases where vulnerable taxi drivers late at night are assaulted, abused or both. This is another incident and you weren't even in the taxi."