Ex-soldier kicks man unconscious on night out, telling him: ‘This is what the f****** Army does to you’.
Court heard how Sam Aspland suffered 'serious psychiatric problems' after seeing a number of fellow soldiers killed and harmed in Afghan conflict
A SQUADDIE who headbutted and kicked a man unconscious on a night out told his victim: "This is what the f****** Army does to you".
Former soldier Sam Aspland, 25, launched the unprovoked attack after accusing the man of lying to him.
A court heard Aspland's friend had left the pub they had been drinking in after being offended by a joke he had made.
When Aspland went to look for his friend outside the pub he came across his victim on April 19, 2014.
Jane Bryan, prosecuting, said: "He asked the victim where his friend lived and he [the victim] told him he didn't know.
"Mr Aspland became disgruntled and accused him of lying. He became more and more aggressive.
"The victim and another friend told him to calm down and go home and not be a 'daft a***' and at that stage the defendant headbutted the victim to the face, causing him to stumble backwards."
A friend of the victim tried to hold back Aspland but they both fell to the floor during the ruckus.
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Bryan said: "The defendant got back up and proceeded to punch the victim to the face with enough force to send him to the floor again.
"The victim was completely out of it and Mr Aspland started shouting 'this is what the f****** Army does to you'.
"He then went over to the victim again and kicked him to the head, causing him to fall to the side. He was clearly unconscious at this point."
The victim suffered a broken tooth, which had to be taken out, as well as cuts and bruises to his right eye.
In a victim impact statement the man said the attack was "unprovoked" and had left him with difficulty eating.
Hull Crown Court, East Yorks., heard Aspland suffered "serious psychiatric problems" after seeing a number of fellow soldiers killed or seriously injured during the conflict in Afghanistan.
Aspland admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm on the day of his trial.
John Taylor, mitigating, said his client had a "turbulent upbringing" and had been forced to leave the Army in 2012 after developing a rare mouth abscess.
He had also struggled coping with the loss of colleagues who died on the front line.
Mr Taylor said: "His life has changed very drastically, two and a half years on.
"He now lives in Thornaby and is a father to two young children.
"This is a gentleman who has asked to apologise through me to the courts and to his victim."
Judge Mark Bury told Aspland he had acted in an "appalling manner" and said the only reason he wasn't sending him to prison was because of his mental health problems.
Judge Bury said: "I hope this is the final chapter in incidents of violence in your life.
"You should regard yourself as fortunate today. Don't let your family or yourself down."
Aspland was handed a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work and pay his victim £1,000 in compensation.
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