A FORMER soldier who broke a policeman's nose following an incident outside an Alcester pub has been jailed for nine months by a judge at Warwick Crown Court.

Damien Webb, aged 27, of Beacon Close, Alcester, had pleaded guilty to two charges of affray, one of assault and one of damaging property.

Talber Singh, prosecuting, said that on Boxing Day Michael Clee, who was with Webb in Alcester town centre during the evening, went into The Bear pub from where he had been banned.

The landlord tried to eject him and asked Webb for help in doing so.

Once they had managed to get Mr Clee outside, Webb became involved in a verbal and then physical altercation with him, during which he punched Mr Clee while he was on the ground.

The police arrived on the scene as the incident was coming to an end and Webb walked off, ignoring requests from officers to remain where he was.

When officers caught up with him in nearby Henley Street and tried to detain him, Webb punched Pc Michael Sweeney in the face, breaking his nose and causing a cut to the bridge of the officer's nose which began to bleed immediately.

Officers used CS gas to restrain Webb, who punched another policeman in the face during the struggle in the street before he was taken to the ground.

Webb, who had previous convictions for assault and causing damage, continued to kick out, causing damage to the bonnet of a car parked next to them, and spat in the face of one of the officers.

Eventually, they managed to restrain him and took him to a police van where he kicked out again as he was being put inside, causing bruising to the shins of two more policemen, added Mr Singh.

Mark Wall, defending, said: "He is not the sort of man who, two or three years ago, one would have expected to find in this position.

"After leaving school he went into the Army and while he was there, served with courage and distinction here and abroad and earned three good conduct medals."

"But he started a relationship with a young lady and agreed to leave the Army - only for the relationship to break down within six months of him doing so.

"He found himself in an environment which was alien to him after six years in the Army. That led to him committing offences, culminating in the offences of this occasion."

Asking for Webb to be given a non-custodial sentence Mr Wall said Webb now hoped to rejoin the Army and pointed out that he had initially been acting to help the landlord, and outside had been trying to stop Mr Clee going back into the pub.

But jailing Webb, Judge Marten Coates told him: "You are making your fourth appearance before a court for violence in public.

"The most serious aspect is the violence you used on police officers. I am dealing with you for an incident which involved attacks on at least three officers. I have got to pass a custodial sentence on you."