THESE are the three remorseless savages whose “sickening act of gratuitous violence” left their victim on the brink of death – with every bone in his face smashed.

Gang leader Sean O'Brien repeatedly beat Andrew Morris and encouraged girlfriend Victoria Blakey and his pal Paul Lodey to join in the attack, saying: “Go on, he deserves it.”

Mr Morris, 47, suffered a broken neck, fractured skull, broken jaw, fractured spine and bruising which covered his body during a three-hour ordeal at his home in Darlington.

Alcoholic mother-of-three Blakey filmed the part of the brutal assault on her mobile phone and whooped with delight when her boyfriend O'Brien knocked out Mr Morris.

The three later took their battered and bloody victim into the street and pretended they had found him when they called the emergency services, Teesside Crown Court heard.

They then went back to the house in Fairfield Street, collected blood-stained cushions and bedding and went to a pal's home where they tried to dispose of the tell-tale evidence.

The plot to cover their tracks began to unravel when police found the video footage, and when they were interviewed, Lodey and Blakey blamed O'Brien for the bulk of the violence.

Yesterday, O'Brien, 23, of Craig Street, Darlington, was jailed indefinitely for the protection of the public after the judge, Recorder Jonathan Bennett, branded him a danger.

Lodey, 42, of Barningham Street, was locked up for five years and four months, and Blakey, 32, of Stewart Street, both Darlington, was given four years and eight months.

They all admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent and perverting the course of justice, while the men also pleaded guilty to robbing Mr Morris of his wallet and keys.

The court heard how during the attack – described by his barrister as starting off as “play fighting” – O'Brien said to the others: “Go on, hit him if you want, he deserves it.”

Prosecutor Paul Newcombe told the court that he later boasted to a friend, whose home they visited to dispose of the evidence: “I kicked the shit out of him . . . sorted him out.”

Mr Recorder Bennett labelled O'Brien the ring-leader and said the “sickening and gratuitous” attack had left their victim unrecognisable after his torture ordeal last November.

Hours earlier, Mr Morris had invited them into his home – where Blakey was staying after being made homeless – for a drink, but the violence started when he tried to go to sleep.

Mr Newcombe said O'Brien was “sparring and jabbing” the victim, saying he wanted to fight him, and then punched him several times, with Mr Morris offering no resistance.

The lout – who has previous convictions for violence – said “I thought you were a boxer” and took off his top before landing a flurry of further blows and egging on the others.

Barristers for the three said they had come from troubled backgrounds and drank heavily, while Lodey and Blakey were said to be vulnerable because of their learning difficulties.

Peter Makepeace, for O'Brien, said: “He understands what happened on this occasion was a complete loss of control on his part, caused, it would seem, by a cocktail of alcohol.

“This extraordinary escalation from what started off as effectively play-acting and fun-fighting escalated beyond any possible consideration of the consequences into something utterly horrible.”

Martin Towers, for Blakey, and Lodey's barrister, Christopher Baker, said their clients played sub-ordinate roles, delivered probably only one blow each, and were led by O'Brien.

Mr Baker told the judge: “I cannot say that this is a classic case of remorse, but in his [Lodey's] difficult way, he has attempted to express some sentiments of sorrow about the case.”

Mr Towers said Blakey had a low IQ and became an alcoholic after her third child was taken into care in 2010, and had a difficult history of relationships involving violence.