A MAN who pulled a woman's hair while forcing her to dance in a Worcester street has been sentenced to two months in jail.

Jason Curtis came into contact with the victim and a woman friend while they were out shopping.

After a verbal exchange, he handed his jacket and hat to the friend and took hold of the victim's wrist demanding: "Come on, let's dance," said Samantha Crabb, prosecuting.

Broke free

She complained he was hurting her but managed to break free after her hair was pulled outside the Co-op store in Gresham Road, Worcester.

Curtis, aged 24, of Essex Close, Dines Green, Worcester, admitted common assault. He was given not guilty verdicts on another charge of indecent assault against the same victim and common assault on the other woman in the dance incident.

Miss Crabb accepted the defendant's pleas yesterday - the day he was due to face trial at Worcester Crown Court.

She told Judge Ian Morris that, although the victim had attended court, the other woman had not and was reluctant to give evidence.

She added that the incident on Friday, February 1, was not captured by any of the Co-op's nine security cameras.

Curtis had a long history of offending which included three offences of violence. He was still serving a six-month jail term for burglary, imposed in August this year, but was due for early release this Friday.

Release date

Martin Butterworth, defending, asked the judge to impose a short concurrent sentence which would not affect Curtis's release date.

Judge Morris said it was an unpleasant incident which began as a joke and ended in "unbecoming conduct" outside the shop.

He agreed to a concurrent sentence and said he had given Curtis credit for his guilty plea.