A YOUNG soldier from Catterick Garrison was scarred for life when he had a broken bottle thrust into his neck by a drunken man.

Shane Legg attacked trainee paratrooper Daniel Green as two rival gangs clashed in Richmond town centre.

Teesside Crown Court heard the innocent victim was simply walking past the trouble when he was assaulted.

Legg smashed a bottle and launched himself at Mr Green, despite him pleading: “We are nothing to do with it.”

Mr Green was with other members of the Armed Forces from the garrison and was going for something to eat.

The court heard how when police arrived at the scene, the young soldier had got the better of his attacker and was standing over Legg punching him in the face. He had to be shot twice with a Taser stun-gun to get him to stop.

Prosecutor Paul Abrahams said Mr Green was arrested before police realised how badly hurt he was. He was taken to hospital where the main wound was stitched and had treatment for other head wounds.

Mr Green received a caution, while Legg admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Mr Abrahams said families with children were in the area when the fight erupted on May 25 last year.

Legg was jailed for three years and four months after Judge Simon Bourne-Arton QC called the case “unusual”.

The judge accepted Legg, of Gilsland Crescent, Darlington, “misread the situation”.

Brian Russell, mitigating, said: “He is very upset about the injuries and understands how unpleasant it was. He doesn’t routinely go about hurting people like this. He has got into trouble. He gets drunk and does stupid things.”

The court heard how Legg has previous convictions for disorderly behaviour, theft and criminal damage.

Judge Bourne-Arton told him: “There was trouble in the street and you completely misread the situation. The result was you attacked, at the time, a completely innocent individual.

“It may have been that as a result of you attacking him, he responded and may have given as good as he took.”