A VIOLENT thug who launched a brutal drunken attack on a pub bouncer on Christmas Day has been jailed for three years and three months.

Steven Robins left his spectacle-wearing victim with a shard of glass in his eye after putting the boot in when he was on the ground, a court heard.

He was also involved in further booze fuelled violence in another pub three months later, where a jury cleared him of the most serious charge.

Robins, 30, of Berryfield Park, Melksham, admitted causing grievous bodily harm, common assault, causing actual bodily harm and criminal damage at Swindon Crown Court on Tuesday.

The court was told he had a long history of violent crime going back to his teenage years.

A judge warned him that any similar incidents when he is released from prison could result in a life term.

Hannah Squire, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that Robins had gone to The Tavern, in Melksham, on December 24 last year.

He was being thrown out of the pub for being too drunk in the early hours of the morning when he attacked two members of door staff.

Robins first landed a series of punches to Edward Bell, before kicking him hard when he went to the ground, the court was told.

He also pushed a female bouncer who came to her colleague's aid, causing her to fall.

He was on bail for the attacks when he went to Wine Wednesday at the West End Inn on March 23.

After again getting very drunk he smashed a window, attacked another drinker, and was accused of glassing a second man.

Earlier this year a jury, who were not aware of his past, found him not guilty of the assault using a weapon.

Alex Daymond, defending, said that after a poor start as an adult his client stayed out of trouble for a number of years.

"He is very sorry for what he has done and understands alcohol presents a serious problem for him, which he will have to address on his release," said Mr Daymond.

"He is, when sober, an intelligent, insightful young man who doesn't get in any trouble. It is alcohol that turns him into a violent individual."

Jailing him Judge Tim Mousley QC said: "These are yet more examples of a pattern of offending so far as you are concerned.

"You have previous convictions in 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2011, which underlines that pattern of offending, although it does appear from everything put before me that there have been times in your adult life when you have broken that pattern.

"You have got to make a decision: either you control your drinking or you are going to spent a good deal of your life in prison.

"These are serious matters. I have had to decide whether to pass an indeterminate sentence on you. I decided it is not quite at that stage yet but if you keep coming before the courts that is what is it is going to be."