The son of a "distinguished" Gurkha wept in the dock after letting down his father by committing a drink and drug fuelled slashing.

Sailesh Darji armed himself with a knife after an argument in an Ashford nightclub and used it in a revenge attack.

The 20-year-old's barrister Paul Hogben told Maidstone Crown Court: "He told me through his tears..'My father.. my father. I don't know what my father is going to say!'"

Mr Hogben said Darji, originally from Nepal, came to the UK with his family and his father was a Gurkha who had served the country "with distinction"

In May 2018, Darji had been drinking in the Junction 22 bar in High Street when he was accused of making an offensive gesture towards a group of drinkers using his middle finger.

One of the men, Daniel Cassidy, 25, then punched and kicked him and the group were ejected by staff.

But a jury at Maidstone Crown Court heard that Darji then went away and returned 90 minutes later with a knife "looking for revenge".

He saw another member of the group in a different part of the town, Leo Berry, and slashed his arm, severing a tendon - which required surgery.

Darji, of the town's Dover Road, was convicted of affray and unlawful wounding - after the jury rejected his claim he was acting in self-defence.

Judge Adele Williams told him: "You were under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

"You had been punched and kicked but then you left and returned an hour and a half later after arming yourself with a knife.

"You then went searching for the group, seeking revenge for the earlier incident."

Mr Barry was slashed him twice and then taken to William Harvey Hospital for treatment.

The judge sent Darji to a Young Offender's Institute for 30 months for the affray and unlawful wounding. He had earlier admitted possessing a knife in public.

Cassidy, from Coventry, was ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work after he admitted common assault.

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