Two soldiers have ended their distinguished careers in shame after being jailed for a vicious attack on two men in a Maidstone nightclub.

James McDermott and Tom Gray bravely sought out hidden explosives in Afghanistan. McDermott was honoured for helping save the lives of two colleagues.

But an outburst of violence in the toilets of The Source one night - described by one of the victims as “an ambush” - has led to them being immediately dismissed from the Army.

Sentencing them each to two-and-a-half years, Judge Martin Joy said: “Each has a highly laudable military record.

“One of the aspects one surely has to have in mind is that soldiers presumably have some training in self-discipline as well. They seem to have forgotten that entirely.”

CCTV footage of the unprovoked attack on friends Jack Bridon and Christopher Davis, who were celebrating a school reunion in the early hours of April 2 last year, was shown at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday.

McDermott, 22, was seen having a conversation with Mr Davis before suddenly headbutting him. Mr Bridon, 26, tried to push McDermott back and was attacked by 23-year-old Gray.

Gray punched Mr Davis twice on the back of the head. Both McDermott and Gray then punched and kicked Mr Bridon as he lay helpless on the floor.

Mr Bridon suffered a serious shoulder injury and is awaiting further surgery. He was also left scarred from facial injuries. Mr Davis had a deep cut under his left eye and extensive bruising.

The two sappers, who served with the Royal Engineers in the town, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm on Mr Bridon and assaulting Mr Davis causing him actual bodily harm.

Prosecutor Tom Dunn said Mr Bridon, who watched from the public gallery, was also left with psychological effects which included a change in personality.

James Ross, for McDermott, read from a Kent Messenger story which told of the soldier’s bravery in Afghanistan in saving the lives of two others in open fire.

“He demonstrated bravery and would have been at risk of being killed,” said Mr Ross, who submitted there were exceptional circumstances for imposing a community order instead of custody.