SWINDON Supermarine’s goalkeeper has been jailed for more than a year after a man was left with a broken jaw in an unprovoked attack.

Kent Kauppinen, who once won an award from Wiltshire police, then assaulted the victim’s girlfriend during the incident on New Year’s Day last year.

Hours later he went out in his car with pal Aaron Tinson, who had taken part in the first incident, and assaulted another stranger.

The 20-year-old former cage fighter and Tinson, 19, had been out drinking seeing in the New Year when they saw a couple on Lowden Hill, in Chippenham, Swindon Crown Court heard.

Mark Taylor and Florence Espeutt-Nickless were talking to each other as they made their way home when Kauppinen approached and was verbally aggressive.

Mr Taylor tried to calm the situation but was punched by one of the men, fracturing his jaw in two places. Both men blamed each other for the punch.

Miss Espeutt-Nickless slapped Kauppinen as the pair attacked her boyfriend and he then twice swept her feet from under her, sending her to the ground.

On the first occasion he pinned her down with a knee on her chest and the second time to her sternum, leaving her bruised. The young thugs left the scene and went to Kauppinen’s home, but a few hours later were back out in his car.

One of them shouted some abuse at a couple saying to the woman: ‘You are a slut, look at the length of your skirt’.

When her boyfriend Jake Vincent shouted back ‘What did you say?’ the car stopped and the two youths got out. As they approached the victim his girlfriend got between them but Tinson punched Mr Vincent to the face over her shoulder leaving him with a badly cut cheek.

The pair pleaded not guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to Mr Taylor, blaming each other, but were convicted following a trial of the lesser charge of GBH. They also both denied actual bodily harm to Miss Espeutt-Nickless, but Kauppinen was convicted and Tinson found not guilty. Tinson admitted GBH on Mr Vincent.

Marcus Davey, defending Kauppinen, of London Road, Chippenham, said his client was just 19 at the time of the incident, had a good work ethic and was sorry for what he had done.

He said he was a semi-professional footballer have previously been on the books of Liverpool and Bristol Rovers, and hoped to return to the professional game.

In the past he said he had received a commendation from the Wiltshire constabulary for breaking up a street brawl.

Ed Burgess, defending Tinson, of Ludlow Close, Chippenham, said his client was also a well thought of young man who had no previous convictions and had not been in trouble since.

Jailing them both for 15 months, Recorder Maria Lamb told them they had behaved ‘like a couple of thugs’ “You behaved that night, Kauppinen, like a swaggering bully: you made disparaging remarks about Miss Espeutt-Nickless,” she said. “Mr Tinson less so – you may have hit Mr Taylor. This was a joint enterprise limited to no more than one punch but leaving the unfortunate Mr Taylor with a broken jaw.

“Then, in an unedifying attempt to shirk responsibility you tried to blame each other. This was a classic joint enterprise, you both share responsibility for what followed.

“It is really shocking and it is sad to see young men with all the promise you have in the situation you are, but you lack what would have been the real substantial mitigation in what would have been the first part of offending that evening, and that was a guilty plea to the offences.

“I would be failing in my duty to the public if I imposed anything but an immediate period of custody in a young offenders’ institution.”

Speaking yesterday, Keith Yeomans, chairman of Supermarine Football Club, said: “The club and the management were unaware of the position he had put himself in with the pending court case last week.

“We were thrown into confusion on Friday when I had a call from the management to say they had a problem. We don’t know the details and I don’t want to comment on the case. The club and the management in particular are disappointed they were unaware of the court case.”