Jail for teenager who killed Catterick soldier as 'payback'

A TEENAGER who killed a soldier from Catterick Garrison just days before he was returning home to his family for Christmas has been detained for two and half years.

John Flannigan, 17, punched 19-year-old Andrew Gibson in the back of the head during a drunken nightclub attack.

The incident in Darlington, County Durham, was "pay back" for an incident minutes earlier when the Scots Guardsman had punched the teenager.

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Teesside Crown Court was shown CCTV footage of Flannigan lashing out with his fist and Mr Gibson falling to the ground.

He hit his head on the dance floor of the Escapade nightclub, which caused him fatal injuries.

Mr Gibson, from Cumbernauld, Glasgow, was due to return home for Christmas.

The soldier, who was being posted to Afghanistan in the New Year with his regiment after joining the Army from school, went out with friends on December 11 for a last night out before heading home to his family.

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He was taken to the James Cook Memorial Hospital in Middlesbrough by ambulance, but died from head injuries on December 17.

Asked by detectives whether it was "payback", Flannigan replied: "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Flannigan, of Geneva Road, Darlington, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to manslaughter.