A man who told a terrified woman she would be his first rape moments after threatening her boyfriend with a knife has been jailed.

James Smith licked the man’s girlfriend’s face before making the chilling threat in the bar of the Just So club in Trowbridge in the early hours of the morning.

And while on bail for the offences the 22-year-old launched another two sex assaults on women in another bar while armed with a knife.

Richard Thomas, prosecuting, told Swindon crown court how the first set of offences took place shortly after midnight on Friday April 18 last year.

He said two men had been in the toilets when they were confronted by Smith who produced a knife and threatened to stab one of them.

Mr Thomas said the men returned to the bar area of the club where the defendant approached one of their girlfriends, licked her face and said she would be his ‘first rape’.

The police were called and following a struggle during which he threatened to slit a police officer’s throat he was detained.

The second incident took place on Valentine’s Day this year at the Malt House pub in the town centre.

As he walked into the bar on the Saturday evening he grabbed a woman’s breast saying.

When he was asked to leave he threatened a doorman saying "I could knock you out with one blow", but was later allowed back in.

Mr Thomas said he was seen to annoy other revellers before going to the smoking area and touching another girl’s breasts while goading her boyfriend.

Smith then produced a five inch long knife and ran the blade up and down the man’s arm before being escorted out by door staff.

After the police were called he tried to run away but was detained with the use of parva spray. A steak knife with a five inch blade was found nearby.

Smith, formerly of Drinkwater Court, Trowbridge, but now of Harford Street, admitted two affrays, three sexual assaults and two counts of having an offensive weapon.

Alex Daymond, defending, said despite his client having a poor record of previous convictions, including carrying knives, there were no sex offences on it.

He said his client could not explain his behaviour saying the sex offences seemed more at provoking a reaction from boyfriends rather than sexual gratification.

“It seems alcohol is the trigger for his offending. These were committed while in drink and having taken some drugs as well,” he said.

Jailing him Judge Douglas Field said “With regard to the sexual touching if one looks at these on an individual basis and looks at the sentencing guidelines one is guided to a community penalty.

“Looking at the circumstances of each of these cases and bearing in mind there are three I have decided there should be consecutive sentences of imprisonment.

“In one you grabbed a lady’s breast, another stoked her side then grabbed her breast then licked her face and said she was going to be your first rape: very upsetting indeed.”

As well as jailing him for three years he also said he would have to register as a sex offender for seven years.