TWO youths who carried out a joint unprovoked attack on innocent people waiting in a taxi queue are beginning lengthy custodial sentences.

Reece Laing, 18, and nineteen-year-old Andrew Honey carried out the assaults on two young men, but two women who tried to intervene to stop the attack also became victims of the violence.

Durham Crown Court heard that one of the male victims suffered a triple-fractured jaw, while one woman lost a front tooth, and another was left literally lying in the gutter, unconscious.

Martin Towers, prosecuting, said the attack took place as all those involved were waiting at a rank in Consett town centre, at 3.30am on October 10, last year.

One of the defendants claimed a remark was made to them by someone in the queue, but this was said to have been just used “as an excuse” to launch the attack.

The male who suffered the fractured jaw was punched and then kicked on the ground, and was said to have little memory of the incident.

His jaw was operated on, with plates and pins inserted, leaving him unable to eat solids for several weeks, causing him to lose weight and take time off work.

He was said to be angry that having regularly drunk in Consett on nights out, without ever being caught up in trouble, he had suffered such an assault when there was no provocation.

Mr Towers said both defendants were interviewed and accepted responsibility for the attack.

But Honey, now 20, of Pontop Terrace, Greencroft, Stanley, and 18-year-old Laing, of Acorn Close, Sacriston, denied causing grievous bodily harm, with intent, relating to the attack on the broken jaw victim.

On the day of trial, however, they changed their pleas to guilty and both also admitted a cover-all charge of affray to account for the other violence.

Kieran Rainey, for Honey, who is previously unconvicted, said he was shocked at what he had done.

The court heard Laing has one previous conviction for a similar offence.

Tony Davis, for Laing, said like his co-accused he was “shocked” at what he had done.

Laing was sentenced to four years and 11 months in a young offenders’ institution and Honey received a four-and-a-half year sentence.

Judge Christopher Prince told them: “This was a joint attack on four thoroughly decent young people just waiting for a taxi to get home after a night out.”