'Cowardly' gang of thugs jailed

Ceri Gibson, 19, was set upon by the group of four men as he walked home eating a takeaway with a friend after a night out in Eastbourne.

In CCTV footage of the attack,19-year-old Terence Geraghty is seen to stamp viciously on Mr Gibson's head.

He was one of four friends from Hastings and Winchelsea Beach who unleashed a barrage of violence on their victim after a night clubbing at Kings in Langney Road.

Having battered him to the ground, the gang continued their ruthless onslaught on the defenceless man out for the evening with 19-year-old friend Jack Hepburn.

Geraghty and his fellow attackers - father-of-one Wayne Fryer, 21, Ian Hassan, 18, and 19-year-old Daniel Willis, pleaded guilty to assault before Eastbourne magistrates following the attack in October.

The bench sent them to Lewes Crown Court for sentence and on Tuesday all four were jailed. Geraghty, Fryer and Willis each received 12 months. Hassan was sentenced to nine months.

The judge heard that Fryer believed Mr Gibson made a comment about him as they passed.

In a matter of seconds, the brutal four-handed assault was underway. When the attack finished, just three minutes later, Mr Gibson was unconscious.

As they walked away, straight into the arms of waiting police officers, Fryer dealt a final kick to the victim's head.

Mr Gibson was taken to hospital but, amazingly, suffered only cuts and bruises to his head.

The plasterer, who suffered eye problems before the attack, is now unable to drive because he suffers double vision and is nervous about going out.

As the shocking video was played to the courtroom, the four defendants bowed their heads and sat silently in the dock.

The court heard all four had been drinking on the night of the attack but had subsequently shown remorse for their actions.

Fryer, of Castle Gardens, Hastings, and Willis, of Morlais Place, Winchelsea, were both jailed for 12 months. Geraghty, of Cornwallis Street, Hastings, was also given 12 months and a further month to be served concurrently for the attack on Mr Hepburn.

Hassan, of Jenner's Lane, Hastings. was given a lesser nine-month sentence as he took no part in the kicking.

Passing sentence, Judge Richard Brown said: "I don't think I've ever seen a more sickening example of an unprovoked, gratuitous, and cowardly attack upon an entirely innocent man."