A FORMER soldier who punched his step-father in the face has been spared jail after pleading guilty at Worcester Crown Court to causing grievous bodily harm.

Kyle Ellis, aged 21 of Batchley Close, Redditch, had been drinking when he confronted Steven Hughes at his home in Pine Tree Close, Redditch, said Patrick Sullivan, prosecuting.

There was no provocation before he hit Mr Hughes two or three times.

He suffered a fractured jaw which had to be repaired with plates after an operation.

Fortunately, he was making a good recovery.

Anthony Warner, for Ellis, said he had spent three years in the army.

Since leaving home, he had been spending nights sleeping on a friend's settee but his mother still had contact with him.

He had been offered contact with a mental health team.

Judge Daniel Pearce-Higgins QC said it appeared that Ellis's behaviour had deteriorated in the last 18 months.

He suspended a 12-month jail sentence for two years and ordered him to pay a £100 victim surcharge.