THE victim of a "sustained and repeated" attack by drug rivals in a turf war collapsed days after the beating with a ruptured spleen, a court heard yesterday.

John Freeman, of Yarm Road Darlington, set up a fake drug deal with the help of Andrew Blake, of South Hetton, and Ellis Dobbing, of Ashdale Road, Sunderland, before stealing half a kilogram of cocaine worth up to £22,000 from the victim.

The victim thought he was going to die when Blake set up the deal before Freeman and Dobbing arrived and began raining "blow after blow" on him and threatened to use machetes.

Freeman warned the rival to stay off his turf in County Durham, saying: "I am John Freeman. You have been selling drugs in my area. Do what you want in Sunderland and Washington but don't you come into Durham or Hetton again selling drugs."

All three men admitted unlawful wounding and were jailed at Teesside Crown Court yesterday.

Freeman, 35, was jailed for three years with a reduction of 170 days due to time he had spent on curfew, and Dobbing, 25, was jailed for 35 months with a reduction of 23 days.

Blake, already serving a 14-year prison sentence, was jailed for one year to run concurrent to his sentence.

The Northern Echo:

The victim was given a holdall in return for the cocaine but when he opened it, instead of cash, it contained cut-up pieces of newspaper tied with elastic bands, to resemble banknotes.

It was then the attack began, with Dobbing stamping on him, causing "excruciating pain", Peter Makepeace QC said.

However, the court was told that the victim spent the weekend "drinking and taking cocaine" after the attack, before collapsing with the ruptured spleen three days later.

Barristers acting on behalf of the defendants pointed out that he had few external injuries, bruising or fractures when he was examined.

Caroline Goodwin QC, for Dobbing, said: "The (medical) records don't recall a great deal of bruising at all."

The Northern Echo:

Freeman was a family man with a supportive wife and both he and Dobbing had some family issues which were taken into consideration when he was sentenced.

Blake, who was the main protagonist in another case at Teesside yesterday, was not directly involved in the violence but did set up the deal and lured the victim in.