Two people who carried out a “cowardly” attack in Spalding which left a man with serious injuries have been given sentences totalling 17 years.
Franky McCarthy (21), of Cowbit Road, and Craig Addison, (19), of Balmoral Avenue in the town struck as their victim was walking home with a friend at the end of a night out.
McCarthy was jailed for nine years and Addison was sent to a young offenders institute for eight years.
Both men denied charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent as a result of the incident on April 28, 2013, but they were each found guilty by a jury following a trial. McCarthy admitted assaulting the victim’s friend during the same incident.
Passing sentence, Judge John Pini QC told them: “This was a sustained, vicious and quite cowardly attack by two men onto another male who was unconscious on the ground. It was unprovoked.
“It is another example of the sort of drunk-fuelled mindless violence that is so common nowadays in this country. It is pure luck that you are not both on a murder charge.
“There have to be sentences which punish you severely and send a message to others.”
During the trial at Lincoln Crown Court, the jury heard that the two Lithuanian men were walking home along Double Street in Spalding when one of them was attacked from behind and fell to the ground where he was kicked by McCarthy.
Addison then felled the second man with a single punch leaving him unconscious on the ground and unable to defend himself. Addison then repeatedly kicked the unconscious man to the head before McCarthy joined in. The man suffered bleeding on the brain together with fractures to his nose and eye socket.
Afterwards the attackers then ran from the scene laughing at what they had done.
Jennifer Stewart, for McCarthy, said her client was only 19 when the incident took place and has since stayed out of trouble.
She told the court that McCarthy has expressed remorse and she added: “He is still a young man and the consequences of his actions will follow him for the rest of his life.
“In his own words he had a real wake-up call after this offence and embarked on a path to turn his life around. There has been a marked improvement in his behaviour. He is now a young man in paid employment and taking his responsibilities seriously.”
Ian Way, for Addison, said his client has completed a college course in joinery since the offence and is now fully qualified.
“He was 17 at the time of the commission of the offence. He comes from a very supportive family. They are devastated by the inevitable sentence he faces.
“His life, for the foreseeable future, is on hold. I would ask you to keep the sentence as low as possible in the circumstances.”
