Two servicemen who carried out a “vicious” attack on a man in a Suffolk town centre alleyway have been given community orders.

Tom Morris, 19, and Ben Harvey, 20, were seen showing off doing one handed press-ups shortly before the attack on Jake Cupit in Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Mr Cupit suffered a broken nose in the attack and underwent surgery to repair the damage.

In a victim impact statement read to the court he described the assault on him as “vicious and unprovoked” and said the way he was kicked to the head was “barbaric.”

He also said he was disgusted that the defendants had behaved in the way they did in view of what they stood for as members of the armed forces.

Harvey, of Pleasant View, Lampeter and Morris, of Dennis Road, Weymouth, denied assaulting Mr Cupit in November 2017 but were convicted after a trial.

On Tuesday (March 5) they were each given a 12 month community order and ordered to do 150 hours unpaid work in the community.

They were also each ordered to pay £2,000 compensation to Mr Cupit and £1,750 costs.

Sentencing the men Judge John Devaux said they had “got off relatively lightly.”

However, he said the men were unlikely to reoffend and Mr Cupit would have stood little chance of being paid any compensation if they had received a prison sentence and lost their jobs.

Judge Devaux said that shortly before the attack on Mr Cupit the defendants were seen “showing off” doing one handed press-ups.

Joe Bird, for Harvey, said his client had done his basic training in the RAF Regiment and was hoping to transfer to the army, but this was currently on hold pending the outcome of the sentencing hearing.

He said his client had worked hard and wanted to serve his country and he urged the court to sentence him in a way that would allow him to continue his career.

Phillip Farr, for Morris, said his client had an extremely promising career in the RAF.

He said he had behaved out of character on the night of the assault and his behaviour had undoubtedly been fuelled by the excessive consumption of alcohol.

The court heard that neither of the defendants had any previous convictions.