TRAINEE bricklayer Christopher Pike has been told the only thing that saved him from prison for assaulting police officers was his bid to go straight.

The 22-year-old from Mildenhall appeared before Wiltshire magistrates sitting in Andover on Monday together with Barry Gulliver, 22, from Isbury Road, Marlborough.

They appeared together on charges arising from an incident in which a man was dragged from his car and attacked, and also on separate charges from other incidents.

On the shared incident both were charged with assault and Pike was also charged with threatening a witness.

They both appeared for sentence after being found guilty earlier of common assault on a driver in Marlborough on September 12 2003.

Rhys Davies, prosecuting, said the driver had been sitting in his car in The Parade shortly before midnight after an evening out with friends.

Pike and Gulliver were talking at the side of his car and an argument developed after the driver was accused of looking at Pike's girlfriend.

The driver estimated he was punched about 30 times by Pike, suffering bruising and cuts to his face as well as a fractured nose, while Gulliver held him.

A witness to the assault was approached by Pike three days later and, said Mr Davies, believed Pike was trying to intimidate him.

Pike also appeared on separate charges of stealing 25 bricks from a builders' compound in Marlborough and of assaulting PC Andy Sexton and WPC Karen Haddrell who were trying to arrest him during an incident in the former Rendezvous nightclub in Marlborough on September 27, 2003.

When PC Sexton tried to prevent Pike running from the club he was punched on the chin and WPC Haddrell was struck on the arm.

Gulliver also faced separate charges which he admitted of assaulting PC Neil Hardman, failing to stop for a police officer while riding a motorcycle and riding without a crash helmet.

Mr Davies said PC Hardman attempted to stop Gulliver in George Lane on July 11 last year. "The motorcycle was ridden at the officer knocking him to the ground," he said.

Gulliver was later found by police lying injured on an building site in Kennet Mews and taken to hospital for treatment to a head injury.

He gave a blood sample and admitted having drunk a large quantity of alcohol earlier that day at a wedding.

Gulliver told officers that if he had known he had struck PC Hardman he would have stopped.

Rob Ross, giving mitigation for Pike, said that since the incidents Pike had "brought huge changes in his life".

References were produced from Pike's employers, from a college lecturer and from his girlfriend's mother saying there had been enormous changes in him.

Pike was training to be a bricklayer, said Mr Ross. "Over the past 18 months he has been channelling his aggression into working hard," added the lawyer.

Roger Jones, for Gulliver, said there had been a patch when things went wrong for him but added: "He has now taken steps to resolve this matter and correct his behaviour."

Pike was given a two year community rehabilitation order and was ordered to pay compensation of £200 to the injured car driver and £75 each to PC Sexton and PC Haddrell.

Court chairman Geoff Olsen told Pike that his behaviour had been atrocious and added: "The change in your life is the only thing that has prevented you from going to prison today."

Gulliver was given 64 hours' community punishment for his involvement in the car driver assault; fined £200 and disqualified for 18 months for drink driving; and ordered to pay £50 compensation to PC Hardman.