A 23-YEAR-OLD man has been sentenced to 14 weeks imprisonment after a booze-fuelled assault in Chester city centre.

Gareth Roscoe, of Middle Mill Lane, Northop, punched Lee Whelan in the face.

During a hearing at Chester Magistrates’ Court on November 17, Mr Whelan told how he had been out in Chester on September 19. He said that, due to the effects of alcohol, he had only a vague recollection of the incident.

Roscoe told the court that Mr Whelan had approached him as he was talking to two of his friends on Foregate Street.

The court was shown CCTV footage of the attack, which showed Roscoe punching Mr Whelan once to the face.

Defending, Peter Barnett said: “He took a pre-emptive strike.”

However, Michael Whitty, prosecuting said: “At no point was Mr Whelan seen behaving in an aggressive manner.”

Magistrates relied on the CCTV footage to make their judgement.

Roscoe was subject to a 12-month suspended sentence that was imposed in December 2007. This had been extended for six months by Flintshire magistrates on Friday, November 7 due to a criminal damage offence.