A FORMER soldier has been jailed after being part of a masked gang that attacked a man with hammers.
Desmond John William Lundy was handed a 40-month sentence, half of which will be spent behind bars and the remainder on licence upon release.
The 40-year old, of Abbey Ring in Holywood, Co Down, admitted assaulting the man and intimidating him from his north Belfast home in July 2016.
Belfast Crown Court heard that the victim was watching television one evening when three masked men brandishing hammers smashed their way into his home.
One of the gang shouted, "You have 24 hours to get out," and the occupant was beaten with the hammers in an attack that lasted around 10 minutes.
The victim suffered injuries including significant bruising and a puncture wound to his arm.
Several months later, police searched Lundy's home and found a hammer which which bore the beaten man's blood.
When interviewed by police, Lundy could not provide an explanation for the victim's blood on the hammer.
Defence barrister Richard McConkey described the 2016 incident as a "one-off".
He said that after serving in the army, Lundy had experienced adjustment issues "having seen serious conflict around the globe" and "struggled with a return to civilian life".
Judge David McFarland noted Lundy's "good record of public service to the community" through the army and accepted he displayed some PTSD symptoms.
However, he also highlighted Lundy's criminal record consists of 50 previous convictions.
Jailing Lundy, Judge McFarland branded it a "horrific" attack carried out "by three masked men, all carrying and using weapons".
