RAGING John Dobbs has been sent to prison for knocking a woman out and breaking her nose after getting into a drunken temper in a nightclub.

The 25-year-old was jailed for 12 months after pleading guilty to assaulting and occasioning actual bodily harm to Clare Smith when he appeared at Aylesbury Crown Court on March 16.

Dobbs, of Woodfield Road, Princes Risborough, was told by Judge Terence Maher: "It was a totally unacceptable thing to do to a young lady and the fact you were in drink does not give you much of an excuse."

Paul Reid, prosecuting, said Dobbs had gone up to a group of women who were queuing for their coats at Destiny's nightclub in Watford and said he would help them to get their belongings quicker as he knew one of the security staff.

However, despite being told they did not want his help he kept repeating the offer and got angry when he was rebuffed.

Counsel said a friend of 21-year-old Miss Smith became scared for her safety and tried to pull her away but then Dobbs hit Miss Smith in the face.

The blow knocked her out and she suffered a broken nose which had to be operated on after the attack on April 22 last year.

Dobbs said he had "flicked" his victim with the back of his hand but had initially claimed it had been in self-defence.

He was jailed for an extra six months consecutive for two affrays, three months consecutive on each offence.

He had previously pleaded guilty to the two counts of affray on August 29 last year and September 17, when he used or threatened unlawful violence towards Mark Kane, of Risborough Gardens, Aylesbury.

A co-defendant in the second case of affray, Sean Fitzpatrick, of Woodfield Road, Princes Risborough, who admitted being involved, had been ordered to 100 hours' community service.