A PARATROOPER who faced a dishonourable discharge from the Army if he was sent to prison for fracturing a man’s jaw in a one-punch attack has avoided jail.

Harry Dring, 20, a serving Private with 3 Para in Colchester, had been out drinking with friends before he launched an unprovoked attack on his victim.

Ipswich Crown Court heard the victim was on a night out in November last year and had been drinking at the Playhouse pub from 5pm until 10pm.

He had noticed Dring, who was accompanied by a group of five or six men.

Peter Clark, prosecuting, said there was “no significant interactions” between the groups.

At about 9.45pm, the victim left the pub with his friends, walking past Dring’s group as he exited.

The victim heard one of the group call out: “Come here for a second”.

As he turned, he was immediately punched in the face by Dring. The attack was captured on CCTV.

The court heard the victim required surgery and had two teeth removed following the assault.

In an impact statement, he said he had suffered scarring and had been left feeling anxious about going out in Colchester in the evening.

Mr Clark said: “Very fairly, he says he hopes he may in time overcome the effects of what happened that night, although he is likely to be more cautious as a result of the incident.”

Dring was last before the courts in January, where he admitted drink driving.

Addressing Dring’s barrister Barry Gilbert, Judge David Pugh highlighted comments Dring made to the author of a pre-sentence report prepared by the probation service.

He said: “Whatever happened, there is no suggestion the victim of this assault threatened Mr Dring in any way, whatever the pre-sentence report suggests.

“There is some suggestion of the victim ridiculing what your client was wearing. Well there was absolutely no justification for his behaviour.”

Dring, of Blunden Road, Farnborough, Hampshire, admitted causing grievous bodily harm.

Mr Gilbert, mitigating, said: “It’s bad luck for Mr Dring because he’s ended up in court and it’s bad luck for the complainant who has fractured his jaw.

“It was one punch, pretty much out of anger.”

Mr Gilbert said Dring had “devoted his life” to his Army service and was “sorry” for the assault.

He said his client had reacted badly after a break-up with his former partner over Christmas, leading to the drink driving offence in January.

Mr Gilbert said: “Private Dring now has recovered, as you can see from the references, and he is a very good soldier.”

He said the country asks “an awful lot” from its soldiers and pointed out Dring’s colleagues in 2 Para are in Afghanistan “evacuating people”.

Mr Gilbert called on the judge to suspend any prison sentence to avoid a dishonourable discharge from the Army.

Judge David Pugh imposed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, with an order to complete 180 hours of unpaid work and a 35-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

Dring must pay £1,000 in compensation to the man he attacked.