Footballer Kent Kauppinen has been jailed for more than a year after a man was left with a broken jaw in an unprovoked attack.

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 attacked another man.

The 20-year-old former cage fighter of London Road, Chipp-enham, and Tinson, 19, of Ludlow Close, Chippenham, had been seeing in the New Year when they spotted 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 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, who plays in goal for Swindon Supermarine, said his client was just 19 at the time of the incident, had a good work ethic and was sorry.

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, 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.

“Mr Tinson less so. This was a joint enterprise limited to no more than one punch but leaving the unfortunate Mr Taylor with a broken jaw.”