Anyone remember Gary Charles?

[PunchDrunkHighOn_?]

Former England full-back Gary Charles has been jailed after he drunkenly threatened a bouncer. The self-confessed alcoholic was spared an immediate spell behind bars earlier this year after a jury found him guilty of attacking a woman at a taxi rank.

But the twice-capped former Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa star was warned he would go to prison if he committed another similar offence, or failed to carry out 100 hours of community work.

He fulfilled the community work order, Derby Crown Court was told.

But earlier this month, Charles admitted a public order offence at a local bar in which he threatened to attack a doorman.

It was the latest in a string of drink-related incidents, the court heard, which included abusing police officers and another assault on a woman.

Sentencing Charles to 12 months in jail, Judge Andrew Hamilton said: "There really does come a time when the police and everyone else has to have a rest from Gary Charles. I hope it knocks some sense into his head."

After a three-day trial at Derby Crown Court in July, a jury found Charles guilty of assaulting Elizabeth Wedge in the booking office of A2B Taxis, in Clay Cross, Derbyshire.

In a drunken rage, the 36-year-old punched his victim to the ground and kicked her after she quipped: "You can't be that good - you never played for Manchester United."

Charles, of Stretton in Derbyshire, had denied the attack in court - but admitted he was an alcoholic and remembered little of the night in question because he was so drunk.

He was subsequently handed a suspended nine-month prison term.

However, he activated that jail sentence after threatening a bouncer at his local Walkabout bar with an imaginary knife.

In mitigation, Hal Ewing, defending, said his client had made progress in battling his alcohol addiction, despite his latest scrape with the law.

He said: "He's an alcoholic and has been for many years. To get himself alcohol-free will be a real struggle for Mr Charles. However, he has made great strides towards doing that.

"The overall picture is of somebody slowly coming to terms with an addiction, battling it and making strides forward."

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

Oi Smash, you remember Gary Charles dontcha?