A doorman from Betws-yn-Rhos has successfully appealed against his conviction for attacking a student outside a Bangor nightclub.

Steven Hill, aged 34, was prosecuted after CCTV footage appeared to show him assaulting Zachary Riley-Peters during Freshers Week at Bangor University.

But Judge David Hale quashed his conviction at Mold Crown Court after he viewed the camera clip and ruled that Mr Hill followed protocol while restraining Mr Riley-Peters who had been ejected from the Cube club.

The student struck up an argument with two door staff after he was told to leave the club in the early hours of Sunday, October 31 last year.

And when police were called to the incident they found that Mr Riley-Peters’ forehead was spattered in blood and he had suffered bruising to his left eye and swelling to his neck and back.

Prosecutor Jo Maxell said The Crown maintained that “excessive force” had been used by Mr Hill on the night and the CCTV footage seemed to show the security staff had generally been “heavy-handed”.

“There was a blow to Mr Riley-Peters’ head and to the side of his face,” she said.

But Mr Hill said he arrived around the corner of the club to find the two other security men restraining Mr Riley-Peters.

He said “arms and legs were flying everywhere” and Mr Riley-Peters had been “uncontrollable”, so he had used an open palm to strike him in the stomach as a pre-emptive strike.

The court was told that Mr Hill, a father-of-two, had been a doorman for 16 years and had worked as a High Court enforcement officer for 14 years.

As a result of his conviction his doorman’s certificate had been suspended, while his certificate to practise as a bailiff had lapsed leaving him with difficulties providing for his family.

Defence barrister Andrew Green said Mr Hill’s job required him to show self-discipline as he was expected to face volatile and unpredictable situations.

He said the “real violence” had been started by the other two bouncers.

“He was being asked to make split-second decisions on that night. He has got the wrong end of the stick when he comes around the corner because he thinks his two colleagues are under attack when in fact the real violence started with them,” said Mr Green.

Mr Hill, of Dolwen, Betws-yn-Rhos, was previously convicted of assault by beating.