A POLE who smashed a beer glass into the side of a fellow countryman's head in a Swindon club has been jailed for 10 months.

Jacha Pawlowski, 21, thought victim Miesko Kraus was chatting up his girlfriend when he launched the attack at the Big Fish club.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that Mr Kraus was with a group of Polish friends in the club in the early hours of Sunday, April 15, last year.

At about 2am she said he was on the dancefloor and started talking with a girl who was also dancing.

A man then started to scream at him in Polish, asking him what he was looking at and swearing at him.

"He then described a man running up to him and swinging a left arm," Miss Marlow said.

"Mr Kraus blocked the blow and there was a short scuffle between the two, during which Mr Pawlowski went backwards and swung his right arm, in which he had a beer glass.

"That hit Mr Kraus on the left side of the face and smashed."

She said an X-ray was taken at hospital and a shard of glass was found, which had to be removed from the wound.

The defendant was arrested and questioned about the attack, when he said the victim was chatting up his girlfriend.

Pawlowski, formerly of Gambia Street but now of Erin Court, pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding.

Rob Ross, defending, said "It is apparent that Mr Pawlowski took exception to this man chatting up - to use the colloquialism - his long-term girlfriend.

"He accepts he had a glass in his hand. He has always been adamant with us that the man at one point shoved him and he accepts he then swung at the man with his left hand.

"The man ducked as and as Mr Pawlowski came back round having missed him with his left hand he caught him with his right and of course the glass was in it."

He said his client had been in the UK for nearly two and a half years having come with his girlfriend to improve their English and earn money.

As well as sending money to his disabled parents he said they were also saving so they could return home and go to university in Poland.

Mr Ross said his client was aghast' at what he had done.

Jailing him, Judge Douglas Field said: "These sort of incidents are totally unacceptable and an immediate custodial sentence must be passed."