An 18-stone Chicago police officer faces up to five years in jail after he was filmed repeatedly striking a woman in a bar.

A judge last night dismissed Anthony Abbate’s claim that he was acting in self-defence after a barmaid attempted to stop him coming behind the bar. A video of the officer’s violent response has become infamous in the United States as it was replayed on television and the internet.

Last night, Abbate was convicted of aggravated battery by John J Fleming, a Cook County Circuit judge. The policeman was cleared of two charges of official misconduct by the judge, who said there was no evidence Abbate abused his position as a police officer during the assault.

Karolina Obrycka, a Polish immigrant, was beaten when she refuse to serve any more drinks to the inebriated policeman in February 2007.

The incident was captured on a CCTV camera, which recorded the drunken officer going behind the bar after he was told to leave by Ms Obrycka.

As she pushed and pulled at him, Abbate appeared to shrug her off. He then suddenly fell or was pulled off balance, crashing back into the bar, his head bouncing hard off a shelf support.

Abbate responded by slamming the barmaid against the bar, and then violently throwing her to the floor. He repeatedly kicked and punched her on the floor as she struggled to evade the blows. He held her by one hand as he took powerful swings at her head with his right fist.

Despite weighing more than twice the victim, Abbate testified that he felt threatened when he fell into the wall.

"Did you feel in danger when she grabbed you from behind, body-slammed you up against the wall and nearly took you to the floor?" asked his lawyer, Peter Hickey.

"Yes," Abbate said.

"Were you going to stand there and let her hurt you some more?" Mr Hickey asked.

"No," Abbate replied.

During the cross-examination, LuAnn Snow, the Assistant State's Attorney asked him: "So you felt you were in physical danger from Karolina Obrycka?"

"Yes, when she threw me against the wall and I hit my head," he replied.

Abbate, 40, could be given a custodial sentence of up to five years when he is sentenced on June 23. He has been suspended and relieved of his duties and pay by the Chicago police department.

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