Reggae Boy Marlon King has lost his appeal against a conviction for sexual assault in an English Court, with all three judges who reviewed the case ruling that the evidence against the striker was too strong.

King, who now plies his trade for English Championship side Coventry, was accused and convicted of assaulting a 20-year-old woman at a bar in Soho, central London, in December 2008. King, who is reported to have been out celebrating his wife's pregnancy and a winning goal for Hull City, was accused of groping the woman and punching her in the face after she rejected his sexual advances.

Throughout the trial King maintained his innocence, claiming it was a case of mistaken identity. However, several witnesses testified that the forward was the one responsible. A jury convicted him with a 10-2 majority verdict, and he was sentenced to an 18-month prison sentence, in October 2009.

The player was released from prison in July of this year after serving only nine months of his sentence. King had appealed the sentence, but on Thursday the Court of Appeal rejected it, with all three judges agreeing the case against King was "strong".

They said: "We have no doubt that this conviction is safe."

King also had to register as a sex offender and pay his victim £3,125 in compensation, in addition to £1,800 prosecution costs.