A PARAMEDIC who served in the Iraq war has been jailed for 18 months for spiking his date's drink.

Stephen Jones slipped Tramadol, a powerful painkiller, into his victim's wine glass as they had dinner at her Surrey flat after the pair met on the internet.

The 37-year-old, of Sedley Court, Sydenham Hill, Lewisham, denied administering a substance with intent to engage in sexual activity but was found guilty by a Guildford Crown Court jury last month.

He was sentenced on March 28 at the same court and also banned from meeting anyone he contacts on the internet.

The court heard how Jones arrived at his victim's flat with a bottle of unopened red wine then placed the drug in her drink when she went to the bathroom.

Jones's plan was foiled after the woman, a police nurse, decided they were not a match and asked him to leave.

The woman took only three sips of the tainted wine but called the police to test it after her suspicions were aroused when Jones called her in the middle of the night following their date.

He claimed the off-licence where he had bought the wine called him to say it was bad and she should throw it away.

The former Royal Air Force Auxiliary medic met his date on lovehorse.co.uk in March 2005.

Francis McGrath mitigating said: "This was an error of judgement made suddenly and impulsively, not a premeditated offence.

"The effect of this conviction makes it highly unlikely he will be able to find employment in this field."

Judge Derek Inman told Jones he had passed a lenient sentence in recognition of his service in the current Iraq war.

He said: "You're highly regarded by your colleagues and friends. You've worked for a number of years in a respected and responsible and caring profession, and you're well qualified.

"You have served your country in that role in the current war in Iraq. That's greatly in your credit."