A man has been jailed after admitting to “lumping” a right-wing protester during Brighton's huge anti-racism protest last week.

Ian Ward pushed a police officer to get to a group of people believed to be anti-immigration protesters in Queen’s Road, Brighton, last Wednesday, before striking one of them in the face as tensions flared.

Ward later told police officers that he was “the c*** who lumped one of the right-wing c***s”.

The 53-year-old, of Old Mill Close in Portslade, appeared in Hove Crown Court for sentencing this morning.

Read more: Recap: Brighton and Sussex's huge anti-racism counter-protests

Footage shown to the court showed Ward, wearing a yellow sleeveless shirt, throwing a backhanded strike into the face of one of the protesters after first pushing a police officer.

While the protest was largely peaceful, the court heard that eggs, flour and a snooker ball in a sock were thrown at the small group of people.

In a police interview, after he was arrested days later, Ward told officers that he saw “three smirking w**kers” in Queen’s Road who he thought were goading him and that he “spat at that group as hard as he could”.

Read more: 18 pictures as Brighton avoids riots and thousands counter-protest

He later went to attack one of the “right-wing t**ts” because “someone had to hit them”.

Pierce Power, defending, told the court that Ward had not gone to Queen’s Road to demonstrate along with thousands of anti-racism protesters, but instead got involved after helping distressed bystanders make their way to Brighton train station.

At Crawley Magistrates’ Court on Monday, Ward pleaded guilty to affray, assault by beating and assault of an emergency worker.

He was remanded in custody to appear at Hove Crown Court for sentencing.

Read more: Arrest, clashes and celebratory chants at Brighton counter-protest

He was given a 16-month sentence, half of which he will spend in jail.

Giving her sentencing remarks, Judge Christine Henson said: “It is obvious from the CCTV footage for the time you were there you chose to get involved.

“Despite police actively trying to deter the crowds from physical altercation it is clear that you were intent on causing violence.”

Ward raised a fist in salute towards the court as he was taken from the dock.