A brave Margate soldier – kicked and punched unconscious in an unprovoked attack – has sent a defiant message to the thugs.

“You won’t make me run away!”

Jason Watson was set upon in July last year – in an incident in which another innocent victim was punched to the ground.

And although he could remember very little of the brutal beating at the hands of two men, the courageous soldier later wrote a Victim Impact Statement.

Mr Watson said he wanted the statement read out at Canterbury Crown Court – and in front of one of his attackers, Lithuanian-born Donatas Vilius, who sat with his head bowed in the dock, as it was read by prosecutor Peter Forbes.

Mr Watson said: “This incident has made me very angry. I have served my country for six years in places of danger, putting my life on the line.

“I was in my home town enjoying my friends’ company because potentially I may not see them for three years because I could be posted to a warzone and pay the ultimate sacrifice” - Jason Watson

“I was in my home town enjoying my friends’ company because potentially I may not see them for three years because I could be posted to a warzone and pay the ultimate sacrifice”

The soldier – who was left with a foot mark on his face after being kicked – added that “these people had left him with a lasting imprint by their horrible, mindless violence”.

Mr Watson added that what happened meant his friends had feared the worst, not knowing the scale of the injuries as he lay unconscious on the ground before being taken to hospital with his injured head being protected.

“It is only by pure luck that I am not more permanently injured, “ he said.

But the defiant squaddie then added: “I want these people to know that it will not change what I will do. I will still go out in Margate... and I won’t avoid places because of what they did.

“I hope they hear that their cowardice will not affect my daily life!”

Vilius, of Surrey Road, Cliftonville was then given a 12 month jail sentence suspended for two years after admitting two assault charges.

The £17,000-a- year builder was also told to do 100 hours of unpaid work and pay Mr Watson and the second victim Jack Rigden compensation for the unprovoked attacks.

The prosecutor had earlier played a three minute CCTV video of the incident which showed Mr Rigden being floored by Vilius’ punch.

Another man – who is presently being hunted by police – then becomes involved in the attack on Mr Watson and the drunken Vilius joins in kicking him while he was on the ground.

Mr Forbes said the CCTV showed friends of the soldier then placing Mr Watson in the recovery position as frantic calls were made to summon the emergency services.

Vilius – the father of a three year old child – and his friend then ran away leaving their victim unconscious on the ground.

“Mr Watson is plainly a brave man and has suffered a lasting imprint, not only by your foot on his head, but also on his mind because of what happened" - Judge, recorder George Pulman QC

Mr Forbes said the builder was later arrested and claimed he was so drunk he couldn’t remember punching Mr Rigden but recalled kicking someone in the head – but didn’t know why he had done it.

Police later found traces of Mr Watson’s blood on Vilius’ shoes, the court heard.

Paul Hogben, defending, said Vilius had come to Britain with his father in 2007.

The barrister said that when police showed him stills from the video, Vilius was “genuinely shocked at what he had done.”

He said he then asked if he could meet with his victims to apologise in person.

The judge, Recorder George Pulman QC, told Vilius he had used his foot as a weapon to kick Mr Watson “as he was falling to the ground”.

He added: “Mr Watson is plainly a brave man and has suffered a lasting imprint, not only by your foot on his head, but also on his mind because of what happened.

“This was a man who serves his country and what you did is a serious matter.”

He ordered Vilius to pay Mr Watson £1200 compensation and Mr Rigden, £200.

Mr Hogbden said Vilius offered to pay the money at £100 a month - but the judge doubled that.