A soldier who attacked a man outside The Roadmender in Northampton town centre has been spared a prison sentence so he can continue to serve “Queen and country”.
Rhys Cox, aged 18, of Chestnut Terrace, pleaded guilty to a charge of GBH at Northampton Crown Court on Friday, a conviction that can carry a sentence of up to five years’ imprisonment.
The court heard the victim and a friend were walking away from the Lady’s Lane music venue at around 1.30am on July 14, 2012.
They passed between Cox and another man when the victim was punched twice to the face.
The attack left him with a fractured eye socket, bruising to his face and double vision.
When police were called a member of door staff at The Roadmender told them the victim had been attacked by two men who had earlier been kicked out of the club.
When they tracked Cox down in The Drapery, he ran off, but was later arrested.
In mitigation, Steven Evans said Cox had since signed up for the Army and was now an “exemplary soldier”.
He urged the court to take an “unusual” course of action and to pass a conditional discharge on Cox, as a prison sentence could have seen him thrown out of the armed services.
Mr Evans said: “I am going to submit that the best place for him to remain will be in the Army.”
Sentencing him, Judge Rupert Mayo agreed to pass a conditional discharge, saying: “I am doing this to ensure that you are able to continue serving Queen and country.”
He did, however, order Cox to pay compensation to the victim of £750 and court costs of £250.