BUSINESSMAN David Mace, 32, smashed a glass in the face of another man who refused to accept his 'stupid drinking game' challenge in a Cirencester bar, a court heard today.

Mace met Jason Brown in '17 Black' in the town on January 27 this year and got into conversation with him, said prosecutor Julian Kesner at Gloucester crown court.

"An argument of some sort developed between them," he said. "During the course of it Mace challenged Brown to drink a measure of spirits at speed.

"Mr Mace indicated that if Mr Brown didn't do it he would be punished.

"Mr Mace then downed his own drink of spirits very rapdily. Having done that he had a pint glass in his hand and he punched or hit Mr Brown with it to his face.

"It was to the left of Mr Brown's face and the glass hit him causing some cuts to the cheek in the area of his eye.

"Police were called and the defendant was arrested. "

Mace, of Golden Farm Road, the Beeches, Cirencester, admitted assaulting Mr Brown causing actual bodily harm.

Sentence on him was deferred for three months to see if he can stay out of trouble, save £1,000 to pay compensation to his victim, and continue to develop his car wrapping business.

The prosecutor had told the court that in a statement made on February 26 Mr Brown, who was visiting Cirencester on business at the time of the incident, said the cuts had been very close to his eye.

Luckily he had not needed any stitches and no glass had got into his eye but the attack had left him feeling wary of who he speaks to in the future, he said.

"That is a shame, as I often travel for work and meet new people," he stated.

"At the time of the incident I was very shocked as it was unprovoked."

Mr Kesner said Mace had a previous conviction for assault in 2005 when he punched someone in the Brewery car park in Cirencester.

Nicola Berryman, defending, said Mace had been filled with genuine remorse from the outset after glassing Mr Brown.

It was a 'one off' offence by a hard working man whose fast expanding car wrapping business kept him too busy to socialise, she said.

Mrs Berryman urged the court to consider a suspended prison term.

Judge Martin Picton told Mace the offence was so serious that he was 'on the cusp' of going straight to prison.

But he said he had decided to give him the chance to avoid jail by saving to pay compensation over the next 3 months.

if he stayed out of trouble, came up with the money and produced paperwork to show that he has been working industriously at his business he would not have an immediate sentence, said Judge Picton.

"You should not have had the glass in your hand - this was the risk you take if you drink too much in stupid drinking games," the judge added.