FOUR teenagers who took part in a 'savage' attack on two young men were imprisoned by Liverpool Crown Court.

The quartet attacked their victims "like a pack of savage hounds." It was captured by a security camera at the Pyramids shopping precinct and shocked and sickened everyone who had seen it, said Judge Denis Clark.

Sentencing the four to a total of nine and a half years detention, Judge Clark said he had to punish them, deter others and reflect society's renunciation of this sort of behaviour.

"There is only one way to describe what is depicted on that video and that is that it is thoroughly sickening. It depicts a short-lived but very savage, dangerous and cowardly incident of violence," he said.

Words may have been exchanged between the two groups, but the four had decided to go back and sort them out, effectively ambushing them, he said.

John Hayden, who struck the first blow, and Carl Gilmer, who followed up shortly afterwards with an attack on the second man, both bore a responsibility, said Judge Clark.

The court, which included members of the four defendants families, viewed a compilation of video footage taken from cameras at the Grange Walk Precinct, Birkenhead, that night.

Hayden, 19, of Fern Grove, Noctorum, Gilmer, 18, of Ollerton Close, Noctorum, Michael Blake, 18, of Everleigh Close, Ford Estate, and Jason Hough, 17, of Eastview Close, Noctorum, all pleaded guilty to violent disorder.

Hayden, Hough and Blake, who all also pleaded guilty to causing grevious bodily harm with intent to Richard Haselhurst, were sentenced to three, two and two-and-a-half years detention, respectively.

Gilmer, who together with Hough and Blake pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm to Ian Ferguson, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years detention.

The court heard that as a result of the attack Mr Haslehurst suffered a fractured jaw, and Mr Ferguson a cut lip and bruising.

Mr David Geey, prosecuting, said that the attack happened at about 2.30am on November 23. The two victims had been with a third man and following an exchange of words with the four the two groups went their separate ways. But over a distance of 200-300 yards the defendants retraced their steps and confronted the victims, who were both over 21, he said.

The film showed that Hayden was the last of the four to arrive. With one punch, he poleaxed Mr Haselhurst, who remained unconscious and defenceless throughout the incident, during which Mr Ferguson was also punched to the ground where both men were kicked.

It ended with the four running off, one or more raising their arms in triumph, he said.

Defence counsel for the four, of whom Hough and Gilmer were of previous good character, said that they were remorseful and regretted their involvement.

Arthur Gibson, defending Hayden, said that drink on both had been the catalyst for what had happened.

David Aubrey, defending Gilmer, said that for 10 seconds of absolute madness, when drink and adrenalin took over, Gilmer was a thug. He had lost his job, his good name and his parents were absolutely staggered.

Miss Christine Johnson, defending Hough, said that his mother was physically sick when the video was shown to his parents. Hough had been drinking at the time of the offence.

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