Liam Holmes, 20, was caught on camera smashing the 18-year-old woman in the face twice outside Faces nightclub in Essex on Saturday morning.
Holmes was pictured today buying cigarettes and covered his face from photographers in the Isle of Dogs as he pedalled past on his bicycle.
The yob was marched to Ilford police station by his mum yesterday after the footage was shared online – but now relatives have told how he is a loser in love.
Do you know Liam or the victim? If so please contact [email protected] or on 0207 782 4331
One close relative told The Sun: “He was at the club with a group celebrating a birthday.
"His mum was told about the video and she wasn't happy. His family think he's a decent lad, though he has never had a girlfriend."
Relatives of Holmes also appeared to justify the attack by claiming the burly attacker was PROVOKED into punching a woman.
The attack took place early on Saturday outside Faces – a club popular with the cast of TV's Towie.
His mum Cathy told The Sun: "They have the CCTV which was inside the club – that show's what went on.
"It does not excuse what he has done. He is not an innocent party, but he was provoked.
"People will judge him on the back of that video clip but he’s no terror.
"The clip online showing him hitting the girl makes him look bad but that’s only a fraction of the real story.
"He wouldn’t do that for no reason."
Arsenal fan Liam lives with his mum, a former flower seller, and 83-year-old grandmother Patricia in an end-of-terrace near the River Thames.
He acts as his mum's carer after she suffered a brain heamorrhage and was left with 64 stitches in her head after an operation.
Liam has not seen his father, who suffers from dementia and does not recognise family members, for two years.
One relative said: "There is a lot of pressure on him in the family, without making excuses, that might be the reason he did what he did.
"It was the only the second time he had been to that club, he was with a group celebrating a birthday.
"His mother saw he had a large mark on his back on Sunday morning. He claimed he had fallen over. Then she was told about the video on Sunday night. She was not happy.
"He has only been in trouble once before aged 13. There was a gang after him while he was at school, and he protected himself with a tiny penknife, and ended up in court.
"The whole family is a little bit deflated by all this."
The film captures Holmes laying into the 18-year-old girl who confronted him when he and a friend verbally abused a group of girls.
It shows him punching her twice in the jaw — sending her crashing to the ground with the second blow as another clubber yells: “Oh my God!”
The girl, who we are not naming, was out cold for five minutes as she lay covered in blood. She said: “This guy was going round calling the women outside the club ‘fat c****.’
“Him and another guy were backing a group of girls into a corner, saying they were going to hit them.
“I told him he was in the wrong and he needed to walk away and be a gentleman and he lashed out.
“I was knocked out for five minutes. All I remember is being on the floor with blood everywhere.
“I was given a head scan in hospital. I suffered cuts inside my mouth and have bruises.”
The girl claimed Holmes also attacked her friend.
She said: “He kicked her several times and she was left bruised.”
The attack took place early on Saturday outside Faces in Gants Hill, East London.
Faces nightclub owner sickened by attack
Tony Bee was sickened after Liam Holmes, 20, punched the young woman twice in the face as they argued outside the club in Gants Hill at 3am on Saturday.
One witness said: “Everyone was outside after closing time.
“A group of girls were sitting outside waiting for someone.
“This guy called them ‘fat c****’. The girl who got hit stood up and said, ‘Don’t talk to them like that’.
“He threw a fag at another girl and you could see him clenching his fists before walloping the girl.
“He’s a gutless coward for doing that to a young girl.”
Police said: “A 20-year-old man has been interviewed under caution in connection with an alleged assault.
"He was subsequently released under investigation.”
A Faces spokeswoman said: “We are deeply saddened and shocked by the incident that occurred on Saturday night.
“We don’t tolerate any violence in or outside Faces nightclub.
“We have been working with the police in identifying the attacker via CCTV.
“The incident happened when the club was closed and all security had gone home. We send our well wishes to the victim and the family.”
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