ONE of Leigh's top amateur rugby league players was jailed for 15 months after he hit a man on the head with a bottle in an unprovoked attack.

Dale Aldred, who had been assaulted previously, hit victim Paul Hilton in a Leigh nightclub, a court heard this week.

The attack happened even though Aldred knew Hilton from a previous friendly drinking trip to Blackpool celebrating a mutual friend's birthday.

This week Aldred, aged 21, of Siddow Common, Leigh, appeared at Bolton Crown Court for sentence. He had earlier admitted wounding Paul Hilton in the late night attack in a Leigh nightclub on October 14 last year.

Custodial sentence

Recorder Geoffrey Tattersall QC told Aldred that there had been no justification for the attack and that he would be failing in his public duty if he did not impose a custodial sentence.

Prosecutor Geoff Whelan said Paul Hilton had been out for a few drinks in the Leigh area before ending the night at Rubens nightclub on Lord Street, Leigh.

During the course of the evening he had consumed about nine pints and was inside the club dozing off when he awoke to find his friend clasping Aldred in a bear hug.

Because he recognised Aldred from the Blackpool drinking trip he told his friend to let him go but as soon as he was free Aldred hit him over the head with a bottle.

At the same time Hilton heard Aldred making growling noises and he lunged at him and tried to bite his nose. Hilton and his friend were both covered in his blood pouring from the head wound and outside the club he saw Aldred pick another bottle up until a doorman warned him off.

Hilton went to Leigh Infirmary but found it closed and his wife, who works as a nurse, dressed his cut. He returned to hospital the next day where he had three stitches inserted in a 1.5 cm wound. He was off work for two days and is now nervous about going out.

Aldred was later arrested by appointment at Leigh police station where he claimed that Hilton had hit him first and then his head had hit a bannister.

Defending, Mark Smith said Aldred was well known locally as an amateur rugby league player and had been attacked previously. The court was shown photographs of his head injuries.

Mr Smith said Aldred hit Hilton with the bottle after he over-reacted to a misconceived threat to himself. He had shown regret for the incident.