A MAN who tried to rob another man in the street in broad daylight has been sentenced to 20 months imprisonment.

Benjamin Glasson, 27, admitted attacking Jack Roche as he exited Salisbury railway station at 4.50pm on June 26, 2015.

Winchester Crown Court heard that Glasson had demanded Roche hand over a sports bag containing and iPhone, iPad, £350 in cash and some clothes.

Mr Roche was then hit several times in the head, suffering cuts, bruises and a missing tooth.

Prosecutor Rufus Taylor alleged that another man, Reece Light, was also actively involved, but he denies the charge and will stand trial in March.

Glasson tried to wrench the bag from Mr Roche's grasp as the struggle continued onto Fisherton Street, where a taxi driver and a man with a five-year-old daughter tried to intervene.

They failed to stop the attack, and Mr Roche ran up the middle of the road where the attempted robbery continued in front of customers drinking in the beer garden of The Mill.

It only ended when another man intervened, asking: "Ben, do you really want to go back to prison for this?"

Glasson was arrested and has been in custody since January.

His father Kevin told the court he had regularly visited his son in prison and had seen "a huge transformation" in his attitude.

In the past, Glasson's drinking had had a "huge impact" on family life.

But his father said he now believed his son wished to change and quit alcohol. Meeting crime victims through restorative justice sessions had "changed him enormously", he said.

Judge Keith Cutler said Glasson had been "out of [his] mind because of drink" during what had been a "very shocking and unpleasant", prolonged attempted robbery that was "very upsetting and traumatic for all concerned".

He said: "You have a lot of future ahead of you and I'm sure a lot of good in you. You have got to control your demons, one of which is alcohol."

Glasson has 20 previous convictions for 29 offences, including two jail terms for battery.

He was released on licence today having already spent the past 11 months in custody.