Soldier given four years for killing

The fight was outside this nightclub in Wiltshire

A soldier who admitted killing a man in a brawl outside a nightclub has been sentenced to four years detention.

During a trial at Bristol Crown Court last month, Green Howards Private Wayne King, 20, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of railway worker Glyne Agard.

Mr Agard, from Reading, Berkshire, was kicked, punched and head-butted in the car park of Reflections nightclub in Westbury on 18 June last year.

The family of Mr Agard, who was black, had claimed the attack was racially motivated, but Mr Justice Steel - sitting at the High Court in London - said he was not dealing with the case on that basis.

Glyne Agard was beaten to death

King, from Middlesbrough, also admitted causing grievous bodily harm to a friend of Mr Agard.

The fight broke out after an earlier argument between another Green Howards soldier, Private Thomas Myers, who confronted Mr Agard about a girl who said a black man had assaulted her in the club.

Bouncers broke up the row but shortly afterwards the groups clashed in the car park.

Mr Agard died from complications after suffering relatively minor injuries.

Myers, aged 20 from Hartlepool, admitted causing Mr Agard actual bodily harm and both soldiers admitted affray.

He was sentenced to two years in prison, but has already served 12 months in custody, so he stands to be released soon on licence.