A soldier has admitted assaulting another man outside McDonalds in Catterick Garrison, causing almost £5,000 of damage to the victim’s teeth.
Darren Davis, 20, from Wallacewell Road, Glasgow, punched and kicked Paul Burnett while he was on the floor outside the restaurant in the early hours of December 11 last year.
Northallerton Magistrates’ Court heard Davis, who serves with the Royal Regiment of Scotland, then bragged about the attack in a taxi which was taking him and friends back to Bourlon Barracks.
The taxi driver was so shocked about what he heard that he returned to McDonalds and told police who had been called to the scene.
The victim suffered cuts to his face which needed seven stitches and lost two false teeth which cost nearly £5,000 to be replaced.
But James Fenny, defending, said the assault occurred after the victim had approached the defendant and punched him.
He added: “It was the victim who started the incident.
“It was the victim who approached him for no other reason other than to get in his face and punch him.”
He said Davis had kept his hands by his side while being punched and had tried to leave in a taxi.
However, Mr Fenny said the assault occurred when the taxi would not take the defendant and his friends because they had not booked.
He said his client’s unit had been deployed to Iraq but he was unable to go because of the court case which he was “gutted” about.
Urging the magistrates not to jail Davis, Mr Fenny said his client could be kicked out of the military if he was sent to prison or given a suspended sentence.
Davis pleaded guilty to a single charge of assault.
The court heard there was CCTV of the incident and magistrates wanted to see the footage before deciding whether the case should be sent to crown court for sentencing, or they had sufficient powers.
The case was adjourned until March 17.
