Hull KR fullback Ben Cockayne has escaped a jail term over a serious assault triggered by an argument in a pub.

Cockayne, 25, had pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm to Kiel Thompson in the northern English town of Normanton in November 2007.

He and Steven Hayward, 20, a part-time player with Castleford rugby league club, were caught on CCTV kicking the victim, who suffered swelling and bruising to his face, grazes to the body and bruised ribs.

The pair spent three days in custody this week as they awaited sentence but Judge Alistair McCallum decided to suspend prison terms of 51 weeks for Cockayne and six months for Hayward.

"This sort of behaviour normally draws a prison sentence and it has to draw a prison sentence regardless of who you are, regardless of how well you have behaved in the past," the judge told the two men.

Hull KR, who handed Cockayne a new three-year contract last August, said it would be holding talks with the player on his future.

"As a club we take the court's decision and Ben's sentence very seriously," a statement said.

"We intend to meet with Ben and his representatives to discuss this outcome, so we are not in the position to offer further comment until this meeting has taken place."

Cockayne has been replaced by Shaun Briscoe in Hull KR's 19-man squad for this weekend's fourth round Challenge Cup tie against Celtic Crusaders.

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