A MAN who admitted butting a woman in an ‘act of retaliation’ during a drunken fight in Dorchester town centre has been jailed.

Stephen Wayne Hunt, of Jubilee Court, Poundbury, was sentenced to a total of 12 months in prison for an offence of inflicting grievous bodily harm and three charges of assault.

Prosecutor Stuart Ellacott said 41-year-old Hunt and Lisa Broome became involved in an altercation in Bowling Alley Walk in the county town on May 3, with the incident ‘ending up in physical violence’.

In a basis of plea accepted by the prosecution, Hunt claimed he had tried to restrain Miss Broome and had been kicked and bitten but then, as he held her to the ground, he butted her in the face.

Mr Ellacott told the court : “The defendant accepts this was an act of retaliation rather than self defence.” Miss Broome was taken to hospital and treated for two fractured ribs and a punctured lung.

She also sustained bruising to the face, a swollen lip, bruising to her arm and abrasions to her back.

In his basis of plea Hunt said that the non-facial injuries may have been caused as a result of his legitimate self defence before he butted Miss Broome.

When he was arrested Hunt also butted a police sergeant who was attempting to detain him, which was the basis for one of the assault charges.

When he appeared at Dorchester Crown Court Hunt was also sentenced for two further incidents of assault, one involving the assault of a female between April 3 and June 1 and the other relating to punching a man in another drunken incident on July 9.

The court was told Hunt has 19 previous convictions for 34 offences, including disorderly behaviour and assaulting a police constable.

Tim Shorter, representing Hunt, said that during the incident with Miss Broome there had been considerable provocation, although his client accepted he had gone beyond self defence.

He said: “He accepts that there came a point where, going beyond self defence or defence of others, he did headbutt her.”

Judge Peter Johnson told the defendant: “It is unclear who started the physical violence between the two of you.

“It is clear that you were engaging in violence towards her, there was restraint by you and you accept that as you held her to the ground you headbutted her to the face.”