Soldier attacked colleagues after drunk night out
SHE WAS SPARED JAIL TO PRESERVE HER ARMY CAREER
A SOLDIER who attacked two colleagues after a night out has been spared prison in order to save her career in the army.
Kirsty Maughan flew into a drunken rage, launching an attack on two female friends, both trained boxers, after they fell out and she overheard them talking about her. Maughan punched and stamped on Amy Mallinson then threw fists at Adele Leonard multiple times and bit her nose, a court heard.
The victims suffered facial injuries but said they thought Maughan, who had just returned from serving in South Sudan, needed help and support rather than severe punishment.
Now the 31-year-old, of West Denton, Newcastle, has been given a community order after a judge said any form of custodial sentence would mean the end of her army career.
Maughan, who admitted two charges of assault, must also do 150 hours of unpaid work as punishment and pay a total of £1,000 compensation.
Judge Paul Sloan QC, at Newcastle Crown Court, told her: “Any form of custodial sentence would mean an end to your army career, the loss of your career and, doubtless, the loss of your home as well.
“In my judgement, while a custodial sentence would serve to punish you, the effect would be disproportionate, particularly given the very significant mitigation that is available to you.”
Prosecutor Jolyon Perks told the court the women had all been staying at Maughan’s home in April and had gone out into the city for a meal and drinks together.
Mr Perks told the court Maughan had turned “obstructive and aggressive” when her pals wanted to go home at the end of the night but she wanted to stay out. As a result, the two women took a taxi back to Maughan’s home and started making arrangements to stay elsewhere for the night.
Mr Perks said the violence flared as the women started to make their way out of the house with their belongings.
He told the court the defendant grabbed Miss Mallinson’s hair and pushed her to the floor before beginning a “sustained assault” on her, and then Miss Leonard.
David Comb, mitigating, said Maughan had personal references about her ordinarily exceptionally positive character and had been struggling to cope with grief after the loss of both of her parents, but she had kept her feelings “buried beneath the surface” while she was in South Sudan. He said drinking alcohol made her troubles “bubble up to the surface”.