yesterday for hitting a woman who spat on him last December.

Saying there "must be more to this case than meets the eye'', Senior Magistrate Will Francis told 35-year-old Milton Jones the discharge meant he would be sentenced for the assault if he is convicted within the next year.

The Crown offered no evidence on a charge of threatening behaviour which Jones denied.

Mr. Francis heard that Jones, of 26 Friswell's Hill, approached Kian Bean around 3 p.m. on December 19 on King Street.

Jones told her: "I heard the case is coming back up again and you need to tell them this is not true.'' Veronica Gordon, Junior Crown counsel, said Jones again met the woman on Queen Street around 5 p.m. when she walked up to him and spat in his face.

Jones then hit Bean several times about the face before stopping.

Ms Gordon said Ms Bean had no visible injuries, but did suffer "pain and discomfort''. Jones later admitted hitting her, but denied threatening the woman.

Yesterday Jones said he was talking to an off-duty Police officer when Ms Bean spat on him and other officers told him to make a report on the woman's actions.

Mr. Francis agreed and said spitting on someone is an assault and is threatening behaviour in itself.

He added: "I don't know what's going on there. Why she would go and do something so offensive? I do take into account her assault.''