Mary HamiltonA judge has warned a man who beat up an attacker of the dangers of taking the law into his own hands.Mary Hamilton

A judge has warned a man who beat up an attacker of the dangers of taking the law into his own hands.

Judge Peter Jacobs ordered Mark Cooke, 29, to complete 100 hours of unpaid work for assaulting Simon Kemp, saying: 'This is not a vigilante society and courts cannot condone gratuitous violence.'

Cooke, of Samson Road, Norwich, lashed out when his wallet was stolen after a night out on September 19.

He had drunk eight or nine pints of beer before walking home, but was confronted by Kemp and another man as he went through the shopping area in Reepham Road, Norwich.

Summing up at Norwich Crown Court yesterday, Judge Jacobs said: 'It looks as though there was a concerted effort made to steal your wallet.

'You pursued them and caught one of the two men and attacked him.'

A witness statement read out in court said Cooke punched Mr Kemp repeatedly and knocked his head against a wall, and may have picked him up and knocked him down again.

Mr Kemp, who was treated by paramedics, suffered a severely bruised face, eyes and head, as well as cuts and bruises on his legs.

Cooke's wallet was later recovered, but at least �50 had been taken from it, the court heard.

Cooke, of Samson Road, Norwich, pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm. He was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and pay �300 in court costs.

He was not ordered to pay compensation to Mr Kemp because of the circumstances surrounding the incident.