A dad-of-two asked a married couple “am I pretty?” before punching them both in the face in a carvery car park.

Luke Alford, from Ashford, assaulted Andrew and Barbara Maggs outside the Neptune in Dymchurch.

The husband and wife were leaving the pub when the construction worker - who had been drinking heavily and had taken cocaine - asked the “bizarre” question.

The 32-year-old then launched his unprovoked attack, knocking Mr Maggs to the ground before hitting Mrs Maggs too.

Alford appeared at Margate Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

Dylan Bradshaw, prosecuting, described the "deeply unpleasant incident", which took place in late August 2021.

“At about 11.40pm the defendant, who [Mr and Mrs Maggs] don’t know, approached them," Mr Bradshaw said.

“He reportedly asked Mrs Maggs: ‘Am I pretty?’

“A rather bizarre question.

“She said 'yes' and then walked off.”

The prosecutor said the couple then heard the sound of a glass thrown towards them, and Alford began to shout before attacking them.

“Mr Maggs said: ‘He punched me so hard in the face that I immediately fell to the floor, he then punched me again’,” said Mr Bradshaw.

“Mrs Maggs shouted: ‘What are you doing?’”

Alford responded by punching her in the face as well.

“Two individuals that he doesn’t know, and he attacked them for no reason in the pub car park,” added the prosecutor.

A probation officer told the court that, having been drinking heavily and using cocaine during the weekend of the attack, Alford remembers nothing about it.

“On the day of the offence, he had been drinking to excess for a considerable amount of time. He says he woke up in a police station and that was a wake-up call,” said the probation officer.

“Since that day he hasn’t drank and has immersed himself in jujitsu with his son...”

“Since that day he hasn’t drank and has immersed himself in jujitsu with his son,” she added.

Paul Courtney, defending, argued in mitigation that Alford's behaviour was “out character”.

“If you look at his record, it’s by no means the worst record I’ve ever seen," he said.

Mr Courtney went on to read out character references that described Alford as “a solid person of good nature”.

Alford pleaded guilty to two counts of assault.

He appeared close to tears as chair Kasia Parham read out his sentence.

“Given the seriousness of the crime, I have no choice but to give you a custodial sentence,” said the magistrate. “But you won’t be going to jail today."

Alford was given a sentence of 26 weeks, suspended for 18 months.

“During that time you must engage with probation, to work through your anger management and alcohol issues," the magistrate added.

“You will also complete 180 hours of unpaid community work, and you will pay compensation to your two victims."

In addition to the compensation, Alford was order to pay court charges, bringing his total due to £465.