A MAN who punched a teenager to the ground weeks after receiving a suspended prison sentence for common assault has been jailed.

Ben Marsh, 22, pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm after knocking out Alex Linsdale, 18, with a single punch.

Southampton Crown Court heard Mr Linsdale was attacked in June at a bus stop outside the Cricketers Arms in Fair Oak.

Prosecutor Louise Gray said: "There was an exchange of words about an incident from two years ago. Mr Marsh said: 'I don't want to leave it, this is my area and I can do what I want'."

Mr Linsdale was knocked unconscious for about 30 seconds and suffered a black eye and a cut to his head. The court heard Marsh, of Summerlands Road, Fair Oak, failed to attend appointments as part of his suspended sentence and community order for an offence of common assault last year for which he was sentenced in May - six weeks before the attack on Mr Linsdale.

Tim Dracass, defending, said: "He knows he was given a chance with the suspended sentence and he blew it."

Judge Derwin Hope sentenced Marsh to 12 months in custody followed by a two-year term on licence. He also revoked the community order attached to Marsh's previous suspended sentence.

He told Marsh: "You are showing a disturbing level of violence in your make-up. You feel you are a hard man in your neighbourhood. The sooner you come away from that idea, the better."