TWO men were yesterday jailed for an unprovoked assault on a gay man leaving a nightclub.

George Matthew Daniel and Lawrence Bainbridge carried out the attack outside the Mardi Gras club in Darlington, on a popular night with the gay and lesbian community.

Although they claimed the assault in May last year was not homophobic, a judge at Durham Crown Court said it was possibly motivated by a dislike of homosexuals.

Daniel, 34, of Bedford Street, and 30-year-old Bainbridge, of Smithfield Road, both Darlington, admitted unlawful wounding at a previous hearing. Both were jailed for 18 months.

Daniel was sentenced to an extra two months after admitting possessing three Ecstasy tablets, found on him when he was arrested.

Bainbridge was detained after he was recognised by the attack victim in April.

Philip Lancaster, prosecuting, said that on the night of the incident, the victim was dancing with a heterosexual woman who rejected Daniel's advances.

Daniel made "lewd" comments to both, and he and Bainbridge assaulted the man, repeatedly kicking him, when he left the club in Gladstone Street.

He required hospital treatment for a broken wrist, a black eye and facial cuts and bruises.

Karen Smoult-Hawtree, defending Daniel, said he had been drinking heavily and taking drugs because he was depressed after the break-up of a long-term relationship with a woman.

Gillian Batts, for Bainbridge, said he had not made any comments earlier in the club, but did take part in the assault outside.

She said: "He maintains it happened in drunkenness and is not the result of any homophobic attitude he has."

Passing sentence, Judge Tim Hewitt said: "An aggravating feature seems to be a motivation on behalf of one, or both of you, caused by some dislike of homosexuals, from what you, Daniel, were saying in the nightclub.