A MAN who slapped a woman's bottom asked to be sent to jail to help him with his drink addiction.

Marcus Balsom asked Swindon magistrates to jail him after he admitted assaulting the woman's boyfriend, who had challenged him about the slap.

Balsom's solicitor Michaela Rose said that he felt it would be the best way for him to start the process of treatment and rehabilitation for his drink problem.

Balsom, 29, who appeared in custody, pleaded guilty to assaulting Benjamin Walton and admitted failing to surrender to police.

Prosecutor Rhys Davies said that the woman and Mr Walton were walking towards Havelock Square when she suddenly exclaimed that she had been hit on the backside.

She pointed out two men who were close by one of whom was Balsom and her boyfriend shouted and gestured at them.

The woman suggested they walk away from the incident and the couple had begun to move on when Mr Walton felt his baseball hat being pulled off.

He was struck on the side of his head and punched on the forehead.

When he tried to push one of his assailants away, the other attacked him, said Mr Davies.

He then fell to the ground and was kicked so hard in the ribs he could not move or breathe.

When Balsom, who had been sentenced by Swindon Crown Court to eight months' jail in June and was on licence, was interviewed by police he said he had drunk two cans of cider and taken valium that day.

Miss Rose described her client as "a man who is suffering from quite an extensive alcohol problem".

She said that he had little recollection of the incident and had no alternative but to accept the prosecution's account.

During his time in custody he had begun a detoxifying programme and wanted to continue it.

He had sought help from a rehabilitation scheme in prison and when he was released he was planning to continue his progress with outside programmes.

The bench sentenced Balsom to a total of 14 weeks in prison.

He was also ordered to serve eight weeks prior to the new sentences.

Tina Clarke