Soldiers' Iraq terrors blamed for pub brawl

Black Watch soldiers David Roy, 29, Ryan Nellies, 20, and William McCarthy, 19, all pleaded guilty to charges relating to a fight in the John Barleycorn, in Weymouth Street on January 30.

The soldiers, based at Battlesbury Barracks, had all served in the Gulf for six months last year, where they came under heavy enemy fire in the infamous Camp Dogwood.

The Black Watch returned to their Warminster base in December. Since then several arguments have broken out between soldiers and civilians in local pubs.

On January 30 Nellies, Roy and McCarthy were arrested for fighting with each other and threatening Tony Strong, the landlord of the John Barleycorn.

Nellies and McCarthy were charged with public order offences and Roy with affray.

All three pleaded guilty at Chippenham magistrates court on Friday.

Prosecuting, Jane Pattison said the problem of soldiers and civilians fighting had been a major headache for Warminster.

She said: "There has been a number of problems in Warminster so much so that the police have had to work with the military to try and stop it.

"I accept that it was a difficult deployment to Iraq when a number of their ranks were killed in operational duty.

"But this is an escalating problem which has got out of hand on a number of occasions.

"On this night, Mr Roy came forward to shake the landlord's hand, he held on tightly and kept squeezing for five to 10 seconds.

"He then became verbally abusive towards the landlord.

"Mr Roy later kicked out at Mr Strong while Mr McCarthy and Mr Nellies were fighting on the floor among themselves."

Defending, Andrew Eddy, said: "I know Mr Roy would not want me to dwell on it for too long but let me speak on his behalf for a moment.

"He has seen some quite horrendous things during his tour of duty in Iraq.

"Twice while he was in a Warrior fighting vehicle he was targeted by explosive devices.

"This is something that must have had a profound effect on him and it certainly puts my type of job into perspective."

Mr Eddy said Roy had already been punished as he has missed out on a promotion to lance corporal, and pointed out that the three soldiers were not to blame for all the problems in the town.

Nellies and McCarthy were each ordered to pay a fine of £200 and £45 costs.

Roy was banned from the John Barleycorn for three months and told he could face jail if he disobeyed the order.

He was also sentenced to carry out 60 hours community service.

Magistrate Sheila Pinson said: "We have noted that you take full responsibility and that you had all been drinking.

"We have also heard about your service in Iraq and while we sympathise with that, we must take into account this was very unpleasant for all those involved."

Busted to the ranks for NCO who lied about marriage

A SOLDIER serving with the Black Watch was saved from Army detention after being convicted of faking details of his marriage.

Shaun Houghton, 30, an NCO serving with the regiment, which is based at Battlesbury Barracks in Warminster, was reduced to the ranks at a court martial held on Salisbury Plain on Tuesday.Judge Advocate Timothy Thorne told the soldier his convictions for falsifying documents were "a blip" in a good career record.

Cpl Houghton, who belongs to The Duke of Wellington's Regiment, had been convicted of falsifying a travel document, falsifying a document regarding his marital status and disobedience to standing orders by failing to report a change in his marital status.

He was cleared on two other allegations of false accounting.

Army prosecutor Col Cecilia Miskelly told the court that Cpl Houghton had indicated he was happily married and living with his wife, when the pair were estranged and living apart.

Cpl Houghton, who was defended by Nigel Burn, said he was not being dishonest because he felt there had been a prospect of reconciliation.

The court said the convictions could have resulted in detention and dismissal, but that Houghton's good character and good reports had been taken into account.