AN INEBRIATED man who stripped off his top and lay on the ground in Swindon town centre on Christmas Eve, was spoiling for a fight, magistrates heard.

Mark Dennis had been out drinking with friends and said he had no memory of the incidents leading up to his arrest.

The 27-year-old of Church Place in the Railway Village, admitted a charge of using threatening behaviour when he appeared in the dock on Wednesday.

Prosecutor Pauline Lambert said Dennis was first spotted on CCTV cameras just at 10.50pm on the ground being assaulted by a group of people.

He was seen moving away but then returning and dancing around like a boxer, clearly goading the group into another fight.

He then walked towards the Savoy pub and talked to the door staff before moving on towards the town hall with his arms open wide and shouting. “The cameras pick him up again in Commercial Road and he seems to be spoiling for a fight,” she said.

Dennis, who has previous convictions for obstruction and public order offences, was then seen removing his some of his clothes and lying on the ground near the town hall. When police arrived he swore at them and told them he didn’t want them there.

Later in interview her admitted he was very drunk and had no recollection of the fighting.

Mark Glendenning, defending, said “He accepts he had been drinking. It was Christmas Eve and he had been out with friends enjoying himself.

“He says that at some point later in the evening he was set upon by a group of people. Understandably he has got up a bit miffed at that.”

Dennis did not know whether any of the group were frightened by his behaviour but he accepted other members of the public might have been affected.

The magistrates put him on a 12-month community order. They also instructed him to pay £40 in prosecution costs and £85 to victim services.