A Brexit campaigner who was at the forefront of Cumbria’s Vote Leave movement has been fined for punching a Remain supporter just days before the EU referendum.

John Stanyer, who was the chairman of the Leave campaign in the county, struck 79-year-old Geoffrey Faux in the face following an incident in Carlisle city centre on June 19.

In the city’s magistrates’ court, statements from witnesses described how they saw Mr Faux approach a Vote Leave stall, manned by Stanyer, 52, in English Street and push the contents to the floor.

In retaliation, Stanyer, of Brocklebank, near Wigton, punched him.

Prosecutor John Moran read out the accounts of some bystanders who witnessed the incident.

One witness said: “I could see the larger male [Stanyer] take a big swing and punch the older male [victim]. It made a connection with the older man’s face and nose. There was a loud cracking noise.”

He then said he saw the victim fall backwards.

Another said they heard “a loud thud” when the Stanyer punched the pensioner, who said he was wearing a blue Remain t-shirt at the time of the attack.

Mr Faux also said he can’t remember anything past the point of noticing the Vote Leave table that morning. The altercation happened around 10am.

“He [the victim] had to have a facial X-ray and wasn’t released until about 4pm,” Mr Moran told the court. A CT scan, however, revealed there were no internal injuries.

Mr Moran continued: “He [the victim] said nobody has the right to assault him or put him in danger of injury.”

Stanyer admitted a single charge of assault by beating and District Judge Gerald Chalk fined for the former UKIP parliamentary candidate £500 and ordered him to pay the victim £200 in compensation.

During a police interview Mr Stanyer said he “instinctively” hit him.

Stanyer’s lawyer, Malcolm Dodds, presented a number of character references to the judge and said they spoke of his client in “glowing terms”.

Mr Dodds added: “Neither Mr Stanyer or the victim came out of this completely blameless.”

He added: “His conduct is quite out of character and occurred in the heat of the moment.

“I can tell you he’s highly thought of by the supporters he has brought to court today. The whole incident has been quite a humiliation for a man of previous good character.”

Closing proceedings, Judge Chalk said: “There’s a tradition for open political debate in this country and we don’t resort to violence. I’m sure that you support that.”

Stanyer responded: “Absolutely.”

Speaking after the case about the tensions surrounding the referendum campaign, Stanyer said: “The truth is we are all law-abiding people who have stood for years to campaign for freedom of democracy and we should have the right to go about our business without being attacked.

“The Remain campaign had an organised campaign of intimidation and threats against our side. We received letters, phone calls and nasty attacks. It was a common occurrence. None of our side did anything like that at all.

“I thought I was defending myself, our property and what we stood for

“I do regret hitting the man, I shouldn’t have done it.

“With the benefit of hindsight it wouldn’t have happened.”