A SOLDIER who left a computer games designer severely brain damaged after a disgusting drunken attack, may be free in just 30 months, a court heard. Wayne Bowe, 24, kicked and stamped on the head of 25-year-old Michael Hewitt up to 20 times as he lay un

A SOLDIER who left a computer games designer severely brain damaged after a "disgusting" drunken attack, may be free in just 30 months, a court heard.

Wayne Bowe, 24, kicked and stamped on the head of 25-year-old Michael Hewitt up to 20 times as he lay unconscious after being felled by a single punch.

The victim's friend John White, who tried to intervene, told police he could "hear Mr Hewitt's head bouncing on the pavement" as Bowe attacked him.

Mr Hewitt, of Dagenham, who worked for Japanese gaming giant Sega, suffered massive brain injuries and was in a coma for several months following the February attack.

He was engaged to marry his childhood sweetheart Karen, who he met when he was just 16.

Mr Hewitt remains in a rehabilitation centre in Putney, south west London, wheelchair-bound, unable to walk and barely able to speak.

Only in recent months has he been able to eat solid food again, having been fed through an intravenous tube.

Doctors are unable to give any prognosis as to his future condition and he may never recover.

Bowe, based at Wellington Barracks, Westminster, was caught after his DNA was found at the scene.

Although he had no previous convictions his details were on the national DNA database because of a fixed penalty notice issued to him some years earlier.

He admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent and was jailed for five years and four months on Thursday.

But Bowe will be released from prison in just two and a half years, having spent more than four months on remand.

CCTV showed Bowe kicked and stamped on Mr Hewitt's head 15 to 20 times while he was lying unconcious in the road.

Judge Jeremy Roberts QC branded the attack disgusting but said he had to follow legal principles when handing out the sentence.

He said: "By drunken and mindless violence, you have done enormous damage to their lives and at the same time destroyed your own career in the Army and done a great deal of damage to your own future.

"No sentence I can impose can compensate Mr Hewitt and the others for the harm that you have done them.

"I can only express hope that in the future Mr Hewitt will make a full recovery in time and will be able to pick up his life where you interrupted it by your actions.

"And also you will be able to get your life back on track.