One of the three squaddies is pictured arriving at Bristol Crown Court following the attack on Sean Good and Jamie Jones
Three soldiers who broke a man’s jaw when they were kicked out of a nightclub have avoided jail after a judge was told: ‘There’s not enough good men in the army’.
The servicemen launched a ‘nasty, cowardly attack’ on two older men after all five were ejected by bouncers.
Nicholas O’Brien, prosecuting, said the soldiers followed their victims after being kicked out of Pryzm nightclub in Bristol.
Sean Good, 40, suffered a broken jaw, which needed plating and wiring, and a fractured eye socket.
His friend Jamie Jones, 38, sustained bruising and swelling to his right eye and lips, and pain to his left jaw, right ear, right shoulder, both wrists and knees.
Parachute Regiment members Jack Young, 22, of Somerset, and David Mitchell, 20, of Preston, both pleaded guilty to affray. Mitchell also admitted GBH and ABH.
George Lacey, 19, of Bristol, who serves with the Royal Logistical Corps, pleaded guilty to affray.
Despite the violent attack, Judge Michael Parroy QC said he recognised ‘glowing’ references submitted on their behalf and let them go with suspended jail terms.
He said: ‘I have to balance the need for the message to go out that those who act as you three did must expect to be punished.
‘All three of you are young men who serve your country and of whose service your country has need.’
A Royal Marines captain, who asked for his name and unit not to be disclosed, told the court his colonel would not allow the men to continue serving if they were jailed.
But he said unpaid work of up to 99 hours and a six months suspended sentence could be ‘worked with’.
When the judge asked if that was because there was a lack of men in the army he replied: ‘With the current manning state of the Army that would come into play.
Soldiers George Lacey and Jack Young (pictured) were each handed six months jail, suspended for two years, with 95 hours’ unpaid work and £500 court costs
‘It is a shortage of good men.’
Lawyers for the three servicemen said they were all valued in their roles and were genuinely remorseful.
Alex Daymond, defending Mitchell, told the judge: ‘You could suspend sentence. He is an asset to the army and an asset to his country.
‘It would be far better than to put him in a drug-infested prison. It would be far more use to keep him out, working for the army.’
Lacey and Young were each handed a six months jail sentence, suspended for two years, with 95 hours’ unpaid work and £500 court costs.
Mitchell was given 16 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with 95 hours’ unpaid work and compensation payments of £2,500 and £300 to the two victims.
The judge said it was now up to the British Army to decide what to do with them.