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GRAPHIC VIDEO: British Soldiers Walk Free After Brutally Bashing Civilians

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Shocking footage has been released showing two British soldiers -including one Buckingham Palace guard - brutally knocking one man unconscious and repeatedly pummelling another after a night of heavy drinking.

The two soldiers, Shaun Smith and Jason Collins, were caught on camera assaulting the two innocent men in April last year, while they were stationed at Catterick garrison in Northern England.

Today, the pair walked free from court with suspended sentences after the judge said he wanted them to continue their careers in the army.

The alcohol-fuelled incident shows the soldiers punching one man, leaving him knocked unconscious and lying in the middle of the road, before brutally attacking another innocent victim with a barrage of kicks and punches.

Smith, 25, was caught on security footage kicking one of the victims 18 times, while 21-year-old Collins threw countless punches at him as he tried to escape the beating, with police officials saying it was lucky that the victims didn't suffer brain damage or were killed in the brutal assault.

Despite the damning video footage, the soldiers claimed they feared they were going to be attacked and therefore wanted to "disable" the threat.

Prosecutor Paul Abrahams disagreed, saying the men experienced a "loss of control" and were never in any danger of being attacked.

Following two trials, the men finally pleaded guilty to two charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Smith was given a 12-month suspended prison sentence with 80 hours' unpaid community work, while Collins — who works as a guard at Buckingham Palace — was given a 12-month community order with 80 hours of unpaid work.

Both men were also ordered to pay £1,000 compensation.

"This is the most violent piece of CCTV footage I have seen in 10 years as a police officer and it is extremely fortunate that the victims in this case were not more seriously injured," Detective Constable Andy Palmer, of the Northallerton Serious Crime Team, said.

"This case highlights the horrors of alcohol fuelled violence and is even more shocking given that the defendants were, up until this incident, of good character. I hope that people watch this footage and realize just what can happen if they do not stay in control when they are out drinking."

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