A young North-East soldier's target practice session ended with a police officer being wounded in the face.

Brent Jessop, 22, pleaded guilty to an assault occasioning actual bodily harm. But A Judge at Durham Crown Court yesterday accepted Jessop did not intend to deliberately harm anyone.

Prosecuting Geoff Taylor told the Court how the squaddie was on leave on August 3 this year and was staying at his parent's home in St John's Terrace, Dipton, near Stanley.

Jessop had intended to go rabbit shooting with a friend and had borrowed his pal's air rifle, said Mr Taylor.

The heard that Jessop had joined the army in September 2002 had undergone some small arms training.

He was doing target practice in the back garden of his parent's house.

At the same time PC Lee Jackson had been on patrol in a marked police vehicle with a probationary officer and had driven down the back lane of St John's Terrace.

It was a warm day and he had had the window of the car open as Jessop had taken aim at a clothes post in the garden. The shot, however, missed its target, went through a hedge, and then hit PC Jackson in the cheek below the eye.

The officer sped off, called for assistance and later underwent surgery at the University Hospital of North Durham to have the pellet removed.

Defending Jessop, Mr Eric Elliott said the odds against what had happened on the day had to be a million to one. Jessop acknowledged he had acted with "total irresponsibility.''

He had told police: "I can't state how much I regret this and how much I would like to apologise.''

Jessop received 240 hours community service and has been ordered to pay £1000 compensation to PC Jackson.

The Recorder of Durham, Judge Richard Lowdon, sentencing Jessop said that what he had done had been "grossly wreckless'' and could have easily blinded the officer.

But in view of the remorse shown by Jessop, the Judge said he had decided against imposing a custodial sentence.