THREE young Nepalese men whose fathers all served with the Gurkhas in the British Army had brought shame on their community by engaging in an attack in which one of their victims was beaten unconscious, a court was told.

Bijaydev Rai, Pabin Gurung and Dil Thapa had been out in Catterick, North Yorkshire, celebrating an 18th birthday.

The trio took offence to a song being sung by two older men, who had also been out drinking the same night, believing it was a racial slur.

Prosecuting at Teesside Crown Court, Mark Styles said Rai threw a snowball at one of the men as they walked along Hildyard Row, in Catterick Garrison, in the early hours of January 27 this year.

After exchanging words both older men were then attacked, despite offering no violence and clearly being under the influence of drink.

CCTV footage played to the court clearly showed the victims being punched and knocked over and then kicked as they lay on the ground.

One was left unconscious and suffered swelling and an abrasion above his right eye and bleeding and swelling to his nose.

The other recalled curling up into a ball as he was repeatedly kicked, but despite being concussed was able to use his mobile phone to call for help.

He suffered from blurred vision as a result of the attack and received a cut lip and large bump to the back of his head.

Both men were also apparently spat at, while a shoe was thrown at them, said Mr Styles.

Rai, 18, of Maple Close, Catterick, Gurung, 18, of Hambleton Road, Catterick, and Thapa, 19, of Brighton Road, Darlington, all admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Dan Cordey, for Rai, said he hoped to follow his father, a former corporal who served in the Falklands War, into the British Army.

Mr Cordey said he was studying and working part time, adding: “This is a young man who has made one very bad mistake which was totally out of character.”

Kieran Rainey, for Gurung, said he was a hardworking, polite young man who had sullied the family's name.

“His family has a background of four generations of loyal and honourable service to the British Army,” he said.

“He has truly learned a lesson.”

Thapa, whose father had also retired from the Gurkha regiment, was studying a NVQ at college and had a desire to provide for his family and contribute to the local community.

Judge Peter Armstrong said he was sure the trio were thoroughly ashamed of what they had done and accepted the incident was completely out of character.

He said he could avoid jailing them and gave them a 12 month community order each which will involve 200 hours unpaid work. They will also each pay £150 to each of the two victims.