A YOUNG man who viciously attacked two female pub workers and an innocent member of the public has been jailed for a year.

Judge Jeremy Carey, sitting at Maidstone Crown Court, ignored pleas to impose a suspended sentence on 21-year-old Liam Cooney.

The court had heard that Cooney, of Frindsbury Road, Strood, suffers from mental anxiety disorders. On the night of the assaults at the Riverside Tavern, also in Strood, Cooney's condition was said to have been compounded by his misuse of booze and cocaine.

Louise Oakley, defending, said Cooney was now on medication, having regular monthly outpatient appointments with a psychiatrist, and had stayed out of trouble since the incident in February last year.

But Judge Carey said his public duty to punish outweighed the significant mitigation. "I have no choice but to impose an immediate custodial sentence," he added. "I judge your culpability to be susbstantial."

He said the violence had been rightly described as a sustained attack on innocent members of the public.

Cooney admitted two offences of assault causing actual bodily harm and one of assault by beating. He was sentenced to 12 months on each of the ABH charges and three months for the assault by beating, all to run concurrent.

The court heard Cooney lashed out when he was told to leave the pub, having been served a lifetime ban on a previous occasion.

Prosecutor Jo Cope said door supervisor Tanya Chitty was thrown against the bar by Cooney, who then grabbed her head and smashed it on the bar several times. "She believes she lost consciousness," said Miss Cope. "He then kicked and punched her while she was on the floor."

Elizabeth Helliker, who was working behind the bar, saw what was happening and went to call the police. Cooney and another man went outside and, while in Canal Road, attacked pub customer Andrew Singleton.

"The defendant said: "Do you want some?" and then punched Mr Singleton on his chin," said Miss Cope. "He was then punched twice by the other man and fell to the floor.

"Elizabeth Helliker was shouting at him to go. Cooney then punched her to the face and stomach. He and the other man then started kicking Mr Singleton to his head and body."

Mr Singleton suffered a cut above his left eyebrow which needed six stitches, as well as three small cuts to his nose and one inside his bottom lip.

Miss Helliker suffered bruising to a swollen left cheek. Miss Chitty sustained bruising to her ribs, head and body.

Cooney was arrested but made no comment during his interviews. The court heard his has no previous convictions but cautions for criminal damage in 2002 and assault in 2006.