A thug who struck a woman in the face after she visited him to braid his hair has escaped with a suspended sentence.

Derek Hughes, 53, of Ordnance Terrace, Chatham, had also been accused of sexually assaulting the woman, who is in her 20s, but the prosecution offered no evidence on that charge after she made a retraction statement.

But when he went out to buy some food he locked her in. She felt unwell and called for an ambulance.

Prosecutor Bridget Todd said when Hughes, who had previously attended a mental health centre, returned the woman complained about being locked in.

They later argued again and she went outside. He followed and slapped her twice to the head and shoulders.

Miss Todd said the victim was not injured but was shocked and distressed.

Suspending three months imprisonment for two years, Judge Adele Williams said: “Hitting a friend in the way you did because you were angry or frustrated is wholly unacceptable behaviour.

“On this occasion, I can deal with this by a short suspended sentence. Go away and don’t commit any criminal offences again.”

Hughes, who admitted assault, will also be subject to a tagged curfew from 9pm to 7am for four months and restrained from contacting the woman for six months.