A thug who broke a woman's nose and knocked out a tooth after she refused to hand him a can of beer greeted the length of his jail sentence by saying: “Cushty! I’ll take that!”

Just seconds earlier Dane Worton had been warned by a judge how his victim could have been left with life-changing, or even fatal, injuries.

But the 36-year-old simply reacted to learning his punishment at Canterbury Crown Court by using the slang term to express his pleasure.

He then gave a thumbs-up to his dad and sister, who were sitting in the public gallery.

The court heard Worton had grabbed Nina Hughes by the back of the head and hurled her to the ground during a violent assault.

She and a male friend had gone to buy alcohol from a BP garage in Folkestone Road, Dover, when the Worton began to demand one of her cans of Stella Artois lager.

It was as she bravely tried to stop him in his attempts to snatch one that she was repeatedly shoved, causing her to fall flat on her face.

Prosecutor Paul Valder told the court on Friday that the parties involved - all of whom were said to lead a "chaotic" lifestyle - encountered each other at approximately 4.50am on February 6 this year.

There was said to be "some interaction" between them as they walked along but after Ms Hughes had bought her drink, Worton went up to her, demanding: “Give us a beer.”

At the same time, the handle on the packaging snapped and, when the cans became loose, her friend picked them up.

It was then that violence flared, said Mr Valder.

"Ms Hughes described the defendant coming up, shouting and screaming that he wanted a beer," he told the court.

"It's clear from CCTV that he kept approaching her friend, who was holding the beers, and she kept putting herself between them.

"The defendant then grabbed Ms Hughes by the scruff of the neck and literally hurled her to the ground. She fell, initially, on her back.

"She got to her feet and the defendant continued to pursue her friend, who was holding the beers Ms Hughes had bought.

"She said words to the effect of 'Don't give him any' and the defendant pushed her to the ground on at least two more occasions.

"During one of those pushes she landed flat on her face on the forecourt of the petrol station."

The court heard that, with the beer again rolling loose on the ground, Worton snatched up three cans and ran off.

As well as suffering a broken nose and lost tooth, Ms Hughes also had swelling, grazing and cuts to her forehead.

Worton, of London Road, Dover, was immediately recognised from the CCTV by police and arrested. He later admitted causing grievous bodily harm and robbery.

Philip Hill, defending, said although the defendant knew the victim's male friend, Ms Hughes was not happy, "and with perfectly good reason", with him having any of the beer she had purchased.

Worton, who has previous convictions for dishonesty, drug offences, threatening behaviour and possessing weapons, then lost his temper when she "got in his way", the court heard.

"It was never his intention to rob either of those parties, particularly the complainant," explained the lawyer.

"The intention was to have a few beers with his friend, it all went horribly wrong and he now faces the consequence of that."

Mr Hill added that his client had "a history of mental health issues" and, having been diagnosed with ADHD, chose to self-medicate his condition with cocaine.

He also told the court that Worton had not had "the easiest" of times on remand, having been stabbed while at HMP Thameside in south east London.

But the lawyer added that although his client regretted his actions and understood he had to be punished, "rehabilitation" was the key issue.

Imposing a 28-month jail term, Judge Mark Weekes said although the robbery was akin to "an opportunistic theft", violence had been used to "enforce" his demands and resulted in serious injuries.

Referring in particular to those to Ms Hughes' temple, he told Worton: "Head injuries of that sort all too often lead to very serious consequences, particularly when, as with here, the victim was in drink.

"It is the experience of this court that, all too frequently and sadly, those who come into contact with the ground in that way can suffer life-changing or even life-ending injuries."

The judge concluded that appropriate punishment could only be achieved by way of immediate custody.

It was while Worton was being led from the dock to the cells that he proclaimed: "Twenty-eight months. Cushty! I'll take that!"