ONE of Leigh's top amateur rugby league players has been jailed for 15 months after he hit a man on the head with a bottle.

Dale Aldred hit victim Paul Hilton in a Leigh nightclub, a court was told.

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

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

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 that Paul Hilton had been out for a few drinks before ending the night at Rubens nightclub on Lord Street.

During the course of the evening he had drunk 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.

Hilton and his friend were both covered in his blood pouring from his head wound and outside the club he saw Aldred pick another bottle up until a doorman warned him off.

Hilton had three stitches in a wound and was off work for two days. He is now nervous about going out.

Aldred claimed that Hilton had hit him first and his head had hit a bannister.

Aldred's previous record included five convictions for six offences though none of the convictions were for violence.

Mark Smith, defending, said Aldred was well known locally as an amateur rugby league player. He said that Aldred hit Hilton with the bottle after he over-reacted to a misconceived threat to himself. He had shown regret for the incident.