A FORMER soldier has appeared before the courts charged with attempted murder after allegedly driving at a doorman outside a Bournemouth nightclub.

Prosecutors claim Shailem Dodson, of Gunville Down Road in Blandford’s army camp, used a car as a “weapon” during an incident outside Halo in Exeter Road on December 12 last year.

Rafael Zanin, who was working on the door that night, was hurt, it was heard, although his injuries were not life changing or life threatening.

Dodson, who served with the army for two-and-a-half years but has now left the military, has also been charged with a series of linked offences, including assaulting a man by beating him and driving dangerously.

In addition, it is alleged that he was drink driving on the same night.

Prosecutors claim he had 57 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The limit is 35mg.

The defendant, 20, appeared for a preliminary hearing at Poole Magistrates’ Court on Friday morning.

He was not asked to enter pleas, and the case was sent to Winchester Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing in May.

Police were called to Exeter Road at around 2.20am on December 12.

In an appeal for information released publicly later that day, officers said two men had been involved in a row with staff before leaving the area.

A black Vauxhall Corsa was then driven directly at a member of staff, it was alleged.

The road was closed between Gervis Place and Halo for around nine hours while specially-trained officers examined the scene.

A recovery vehicle was called out for a Corsa which had collided with a lamppost yards from the club’s front door.

Dodson has been released on bail ahead of his next appearance on the condition that he complies with an electronically-monitored curfew between 9pm and 7am.

He was also barred from Bournemouth.

During his appearance before magistrates, Dodson admitted an unrelated charge of criminal damage.

The court heard he smashed up a Peugeot 106 belonging to a young mum. He did not know the victim and was in drink at the time the offence was committed, it was said.

Prosecuting, Charles Nightingale said the victim was due to take her child to school on December 5 last year when she discovered her car had been badly damaged.

She was eventually forced to write it off.

In mitigation, magistrates heard Dodson is a man of previous good character and had little memory of the incident, which has left him “absolutely mortified” and “embarrassed”.

The defendant was sentenced to a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £500 in compensation.

Costs and a surcharge were not ordered as compensating the victim is the priority, it was said.