A SERVICEMAN who ruined birthday celebrations after he smashed a glass on a punter's head has been sentenced.

Sean Davenport admitted causing actual bodily harm to Wayne Maitland and Emma Louisa Smith during a night at The Boundary House pub in Abingdon.

The 21-year-old, based at Didcot's Vauxhall Barracks, also admitted damaging a television belonging to pub manager Andrew Hewitt and assaulting his partner Naomi Chadwick.

Prosecutor Rebecca Austin told Oxford Crown Court on Monday that Ms Smith was at the Oxford Road pub with family and friends, celebrating her 31st birthday on November 29 last year.

She said Ms Smith was on the dance floor with her two sisters, Ms Chadwick and Mr Maitland's partner Bethany, at about midnight when a group of about five "rowdy and drunken" men came into the pub.

Ms Austin said one of the men – who was friends with Davenport – went onto the dance floor, becoming "rather inappropriate" towards Ms Smith and her sisters, making Mr Maitland unhappy.

The prosecutor said Mr Maitland pushed the man on the dance floor "with all his force" after he tried to look up Ms Smith's skirt.

Ms Austin said Davenport then walked from the bar area, holding a pint glass, and smashed it on Mr Maitland's head, leaving him with a cut on the left side of his face.

She said Ms Smith and Ms Chadwick were also injured by the smashed glass, and the pub's television also shattered.

In his interview with police, Davenport said he had been drinking while watching boxing but claimed he hit Mr Maitland, who was behaving "aggressively", with a "pre-emptive" strike to support his friend.

The court heard father-of-one Davenport, who is £15,000 in debt, felt "ashamed" of his behaviour and realised his drinking brought him to the attention of police.

Recorder Anna Laney told the defendant he "went too far" and said his attack had an "ongoing impact" on his victims, adding: "Go away and be a good father. I don't want to see you back here again."

She handed him a community order, with a 250-hour unpaid work requirement and 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement, also ordering him to pay £100 compensation to pub retailer Greene King.