A Southampton thug has been jailed for kicking a man in the face outside a Shirley pub in a drunken rage.

Lewis Wilkinson, 35, of Derby Road, was outside the Osborne Inn pub on Shirley Road just before Christmas on Sunday, 17 December last year when he attacked a man in his 40s.

Wilkinson punched and kicked the man a number of times in the face, resulting in a swollen eye and chipped tooth.

READ MORE: Chainsaw wielding stepfather burst into daughter's HMO

He also attacked a woman in her 30s when she tried to step in and help the man.

Police were called - and when they arrived, Wilkinson kicked one of them in the leg, causing a minor injury.

On Friday, at Wilkinson's sentencing, Southampton Crown Court heard how Wilkinson had drank to a level at which he became violent.

Wilkinson was arrested and charged with two counts of assault and one count of assaulting an emergency worker, which he subsequently pleaded guilty to.

This result also activates a suspended sentence of six months for an incident on August 29 last year.

According to police, Wilkinson broke into an address in Hill lane and assaulted a woman in her 90s and a man in his 50s. Both suffered minor injuries.

In total, Wilkinson has been jailed for 16 months.

Police Staff Investigator Stephen Hortin, of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Western Area Crime team, said: “The court heard how Wilkinson drank to a level at which he became violent, in a manner that is exceedingly similar to his actions in August for which he was given a suspended sentence.

"This pattern of behaviour is simply not acceptable and I hope that those who have been injured and impacted by Wilkinson’s actions will take some comfort in this result today.

“I hope that the sentence handed down to Wilkinson demonstrates that the police, the CPS and the courts will not tolerate repeat patterns of offending and will deal with those who breach suspended sentences robustly.

"Wilkinson now has some months to consider his relationship with alcohol and violence and the consequences that his actions have on his victims, himself and also his own family.”