Former Gills striker Marlon King has been jailed for for groping a young woman in a London club and then breaking her nose.

King, who plays for Premier League Wigan Athletic, attacked her after she rejected his advances - and has now been put behind bars for 18 months.

The forward had been celebrating his wife's pregnancy and scoring a winning goal hours earlier at Soho Revue Bar last December.

Southwark Crown Court heard that when a university student recoiled after he touched her bottom, he punched her in the face, knocking her to the ground.

King had claimed he was a victim of mistaken identity.

But after hearing evidence from a string of witnesses a jury has found him guilty of sexually assaulting the 20-year-old by touching, and causing actual bodily harm.

King played for the Gills between 2000 and 2003, scoring 47 goals. After he was sentenced, Wigan announced that the player's contract with them would be terminated.

A statement on the club website said: "The incident took place whilst the player was on loan at Hull City but ultimately still as a Wigan Athletic player and a representative of the club."