A 24-YEAR-old has been sent to prison for 15 months after he punched a man because of a drug debt.

James Bagley, of Charlton Avenue, Hereford, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

This week at Hereford Crown Court, Delroy Henry, prosecuting, said Bagley was in a car with friends on May 27 last year when he saw Michael Austin walking along Holme Lacy Road in Hereford.

Bagley got out of the car and went up to Mr Austin, who had his headphones in and his hood up, and punched him to the floor.

Mr Austin sustained a cut to his forehead, which was an inch long, and also had grazing and swelling to his right eye and his chin.

The court heard Bagley punched Mr Austin because he owed him £80 for drugs, which he had sold him.

An eye witness said he saw Bagley give Mr Austin a "haymaker" punch.

Another witness heard Bagley boasting in a beer garden afterwards and overhead him saying: "Did you see it? I smacked him. He flew through the air and smacked into the ground."

Bagley had 13 previous convictions from 25 offences, which include violence.

Anna Midgley, defending, said: "He [Bagley] is somebody, who from his physical appearance and list of previous convictions, appears formidable and who one could judge very harshly, and not necessarily wrongly to some extent.

"But reading the pre-sentence report explains a great deal of his record and the circumstance in which he finds himself."

She asked the judge to consider a suspended sentence due to his early guilty plea, personal circumstances and personal vulnerability.

Miss Midgley added that the best way to protect the public would be to give him constant supervision and assistance within the community, and allow him to address his depression, mental health problems and his drug use.

She said: "As well as needing punishment, he needs help and rehabilitation."

Bagley was sent to prison for 15 months.