A ROYAL Marine who was left with severe head injuries following a vicious and unprovoked attack has hit out at the sentence handed to the man who beat him.

Stephen Burton, another Royal Marine, attacked father-of-three Kevin Gunn on Remembrance Sunday at The Foundry Arms in Poole.

Burton, of Huntick Estate in Lytchett Matravers, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm on November 16.

He was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for two years, a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement and 150 hours of unpaid community work.

Mr Gunn, who served in the Falklands and in Northern Ireland, was punched in the back of the head causing him to fall to the floor. He was then hit with a bar stool and punched and kicked while he was unconscious. He'd been defending a woman who had been insulted before Burton took exception to his comments and began the assault.

Burton fled the scene and later handed himself into the police.

"From the shock and the pain I went to the ground," Mr Gunn said. "Then I woke up a few moments later dazed and semi-conscious to this guy punching me in the face. I ended up with bruises on my hands where I was trying to defend myself and kick him off."

As well as the open wound on his head - which required 12 stitches - he suffered a black eye, extensive bruising and injured his back, which he still needs treatment for.

Medics also found an irregularity with his heart. Earlier this year he underwent a cardioversion - a medical procedure that can restore a fast or irregular heartbeat to a normal rhythm.

"The shock and the stress could easily have set it off but we'll never know," Mr Gunn said.

Since the attack Mr Gunn has been unable to work and attends counselling sessions with mental health services.

Known as Ben to his friends, Mr Gunn called Burton "a total coward".

Mr Gunn, 59, had served as a policeman for 25 years.

"You wouldn't expect this to happen to you," he said. "I have been to the Falklands and Northern Ireland. Then to go down to the local pub and be assaulted by a fellow marine in such a cowardly despicable act is difficult to get your head round."

Mr Gunn's clothes were "saturated" in blood, he said. All he was able to salvage was his green beret and his shoes.

"To me it's very important to emphasise it was Remembrance Day," he said. "It's a good event. The actual Foundry Arms itself had a nice atmosphere. There were loads of ex-servicemen. I was about to leave and was persuaded to have one more drink. I was going to go to the RNLI but I never made it.

"I could have died.

"He happened to get the top of my skull. If I had landed awkwardly or if he'd hit the back of my head... this guy was out to hurt me. I have seen people die from hitting the floor after one punch as a copper.

"As the Royal Marines we are supposed to be a family. We're meant to be a band of brothers looking after each other. That's why it's been such a shock. This person is a disgrace to his family and his friends and the Royal Marines. It has deeply affected me both physically and mentally."