A man who handed a victim a "peculiar" note offering oral sex before attempting to rob him in a restaurant toilet has been jailed.

William Skinner 44, sat next to the man and passed a hand written note to his 62-year-old victim saying: "When you leave here I want to show you how sorry I am and give you the best blow job and w**k you have ever had.”

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said he was not interested and left the restaurant.

However, Skinner, of Cassio Road, Watford, followed the man into two more restaurants, before punching the man to the floor and attempting to rifle through his trouser pockets.

When police arrived at Café Mezza, Lower High Street, Watford, on November 23, they found the note with the offer to perform fellatio.

The restaurant manager had seen Skinner standing over the man, with his fist clenched making threats to him.

Skinner sat with his 'Head' sports bag packed, on the steps of St Albans Crown Court yesterday (Monday), for a final cigarette before being sentenced to 18 months imprisonment.

The stocky defendant, who has a number of previous convictions for violence and has been jailed before, was found guilty of assault with intent to rob after a three-day trial in May.

Even after trial the motive behind the note was unresolved, with Skinner claiming it came from an ex-girlfriend.

Sentence had been adjourned for reports including a psychiatric assessment.

Martin Lahiffe, defending, asked the court to suspend any sentence of imprisonment.

Skinner has 38 previous convictions for 82 offences dating back to 1978.

In 2005 he was jailed for two years at the same court for ABH and racially aggravated threatening behaviour.

Mr Lahiffe said: "One point in his favour is that since this took place in November, 2009, he has remained out of trouble."

Passing the 18-month prison sentence Judge Martin Griffith said he had "no doubt" Skinner would carry out acts of violence again.

Judge Griffith said: "To my mind this was all but a robbery.

"For reasons, which I'm afraid I still do not understand, you picked on your victim and gave him that peculiar note, which you tried to explain had been given to you by a girlfriend.

"You followed him into a restaurant toilet and punched him and tried to rob him.

"He put his hands in his pockets to stop you putting your hands in his pockets to rob him."

Judge Griffith added: "You have a bad record of offending.

"It seems to me, with this personality disorder of yours, you are going to continue offending until you make the decision to stop.

"You should appreciate if you continue committing offences like this, at some point someone is going to say you are a danger and there will have to be an open-ended sentence."