Royal Marine hit girl with a bottle in Basingstoke bar (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Iraq veteran Robert Wearing, 28, pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm after incident in Censo

6:00pm Tuesday 12th March 2013 in News By Helen Morton

A ROYAL Marine attacked a girl with a bottle when she told him to move away in a Basingstoke bar.

Robert Wearing pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm in relation to the incident, which happened on Sunday, January 13.

Winchester Crown Court heard that Wearing, of London Road, Basingstoke, had been drinking in Censo, in Church Street, in the early hours of the morning when he was involved in an argument with another man.

Prosecutor Rob Welling said that victim Amy Watts, who was also in the bar with her mother, had become concerned.

Mr Welling said: “She went up to the defendant and moved him away from her and told him to go away.

“The defendant then struck her with a bottle on the side of the head, causing a crescent-shaped cut requiring one stitch.”

Defending Wearing, Berenice Mulvanny said that the 28-year-old had served for five-and-a-half years in the Royal Marines and had spent two years in Iraq.

She said that he would lose his job if he was handed an immediate prison sentence but a suspended sentence might mean he kept it.

She added that he and his girlfriend, who is pregnant, would lose their home if he lost his job.

Judge Andrew Barnett described the offence as very serious.

He told Wearing, who had no previous convictions: “Fuelled by drink you lashed out and struck your victim. It is lucky that the trauma which undoubtedly occurred has been kept to a minimum.”

He continued: “But you are 28 years old, you have served with distinction in the Royal Marines, you have a partner.”

He handed Wearing a six-month sentence, suspended for 12 months.

He also ordered him to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work, ordered him to pay his victim £1,000 in compensation and to pay costs of £90.