AN army veteran trashed a hotel bedroom after a row with his girlfriend following a christening party.

Bolton magistrates heard how a window was broken, blood was left on furniture and a lamp and TV smashed as Liam Blyth lost his temper in their room at the Mercure Georgian House Hotel at Blackrod on January 12.

In court Blyth, of Stockton-on-Tees, pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage.

Steve Woodman, prosecuting, told how other guests at the hotel became alarmed by the disturbance coming from Room 781 just before 11pm and police were called.

“Inside the room it was a complete mess,” said Mr Woodman.

“There was glass that had been smashed and there were blood stains on the furniture. It is going to cost around £2,000 to repair.”

The court heard that Blyth, aged 26, has eight previous convictions, including one from February last year for another criminal damage.

On January 12 he and his partner had been to a christening in Westhoughton where he did not know any of the other guests and was drinking steadily throughout the afternoon.

They then got into an argument over him losing his mobile phone, which continued in the taxi back to the hotel.

“He has very little recall of drinking in the hotel room. He doesn’t understand how alcohol ended up on the walls,” a probation officer told the court.

“He talks about a red mist coming down and the damage to the room went on for 10 to 15 minutes.”

She added that Blyth, a father-of-one, and his partner are no longer together but he hopes to rekindle the relationship.

Magistrates were told how the former soldier had joined the Army, aged 16 and left four years ago having spent time serving in Afghanistan. He started to use cannabis to help him sleep when he was sent to the war zone.

“He lost a lot of friends and says that he saw some horrific things,” said the probation officer.

But on leaving the Army he did not receive any support.

“He decided to leave the Army because he knew he was having problems with his mental health,” said the probation officer.

The probation report stated: “He was struggling to cope with being in that environment any more. He believed all the flashbacks and memories would go away when he moved away from the Army but they didn’t. He was proud to fight for his country but aware of the damage it has done.”

Magistrates were told that Blyth would “drink to oblivion” but now recognises he needs help.

He was given a 12 month community sentence, ordered to undertake 50 hours of unpaid work and participate in 30 days of rehabilitation activities.

In addition Blyth, who works as a log burning stove fitter, was ordered to pay the hotel £1,000 in compensation.