A taxi driver was punched in the face after he asked a woman who had been sick in his cab to pay extra.

Her boyfriend Trevor Cheesman lashed out when the driver said he wanted more money to clean up the mess.

Yesterday the 37-year-old was jailed for six weeks after admitting assault and causing damage to garden railings.

Brighton Magistrates’ Court was told that Cheesman, of Old Shoreham Road, Hove, his girlfriend and a friend, who had all been drinking, were in a taxi on the night of June 7.

When the woman vomited, the driver pulled over and asked his passengers to pay an extra fee.

Suzanne Soros, prosecuting, said the two men ran off leaving the drunken woman in the cab. But Cheesman returned and attacked the driver.

She said there was a struggle between Cheesman and the driver before he ran off again.

The same night Cheesman, who has 19 previous convictions, had wrecked garden railings at a house in Hove.

The court was told that after his arrest Cheesman was recalled to prison to serve the remainder of a two year jail sentence imposed in October last year for drug dealing.

Cheesman, who had been released early on licence, is now due to stay behind bars until October.

Ray Papp, defending, said Cheesman and the two other passengers had drunk too much that night. He said an argument started over the cost of clearing up the vomit after Cheesman offered to pay £25 but believed the driver wanted £80.

He said: "There was some abuse. The defendant was not happy at the manner in which the taxi driver was having a go at his girlfriend. He accepts there was a scuffle which resulted in a minor injury to the ear of the taxi driver."

Mr Papp said Cheesman's girfriend was now 12 weeks pregnant.

Cheeseman was also ordered to pay the cabbie £100 compensation and £50 towards the cost of repairs to the railings.