A war hero who posed as his brother to avoid admitting he was a banned driver has escaped going to prison.

Ex-soldier Kevin Challis, 29, from Canterbury, had served with the Prince of Wales Royal Regiment in Iraq and had been wounded in an attack.

But in 2005, his life began to fall apart when he was sent to Shorncliffe Barracks in Folkestone and was convicted of drug dealing at a court martial, jailed for a year and thrown out of the Army.

In February 2007, he was convicted again of possessing a class A drug and the same year he was banned for drink-driving. Two years later he was banned again for driving while disqualified.

In 2010 he failed to appear at court – and was prosecuted for not complying with a community order.

But his barrister, Philip Rowley, told Canterbury Crown Court that Challis had been diagnosed as suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.

"He joined his regiment in 1999 and served as an infantryman doing tours of duty in hostile environments, which he faced on behalf of his country.

"On April 17, 2004 he was injured in his shoulder while serving in Iraq and in the subsequent treatment he received in the latter part of the year it was established that he was suffering from PTSD.

"As a result it was determined, quite properly, that he shouldn't serve abroad again and was sent to Shorncliffe Barracks a year later."

It was there he was arrested and found guilty of drugs offences at a court martial.

Mr Rowley added Challis "still has concerns over that conviction" - but was later dismissed from the armed services.

"the most important part of your life was being an infantryman and the hardest part of your life was being under fire..." – judge nigel van der bijl

"He suffered from his mental health problems and began drifting, literally and also in relation to getting a foothold on life."

The barrister said it was in 2011 he began working at the King's Arms in Elham, where he met someone - who "had an Army background" – who helped him by putting him in touch with the charity Combat Stress for former servicemen with mental health issues.

Challis, of Standard Hill Cottage, North Elham, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice in March and driving his father's car with two defective tyres, faulty exhaust, without insurance and while he was disqualified.

He was given a 12-month jail sentence - suspended for two years - and disqualified from driving for two years.

Judge Nigel Van Der Bijl told him: "The most important part of your life was being an infantryman and the hardest part of your life was being under fire.

"What you did deserves a prison sentence, but I have to ask myself whether it would be right to suspended that sentence. It is a very difficult decision but because of your remorse and the fact you are making efforts to rebuild your life I can."