TWO thugs who left a man in a coma following a brutal Boxing Day assault have each been jailed for ten years.
Jack Miles and Connor Olsen initially denied the savage attack on Christopher MacGillivray last Christmas but were convicted by a jury in June.
A court heard how the defendants had been drinking together in Felling on the evening of Christmas Day and continued into the early hours.
Heavily intoxicated, Miles, 22, and Olsen, 21, left the address together just after 4am and went to meet a friend in nearby flats.
But their friend was not at home and instead the men got into a drunken row with Mr MacGillivray, who was staying in the same building.
That row quickly turned violent and the men got into a physical altercation in which both Miles and Olsen armed themselves.
The 32-year-old victim armed himself with a mop but was quickly disarmed by the men, and then savagely beaten with a brick and a wooden pole and left unconscious.
Before the pair left the scene, they took a video showing the victim lying in a pool of blood.
A passer-by found the victim after he had been left for dead by the men and an ambulance took him to hospital with a multitude of injuries.
He was in an induced coma for six weeks to be treated for a broken nose, fractured eye socket, fractured cheekbone, fractured jaw and a fractured skull.
Detectives in Northumbria Police's Central CID launched an investigation and both Miles and Olsen were arrested after being identified from CCTV.
Olsen, of Split Crow Road, Gateshead, and Miles, of Edgeware Road, Gateshead, blamed each other for the attack and both denied one count of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
They pleaded not guilty but were convicted by a jury following a seven-day trial at Newcastle Crown Court in June before each being jailed for ten years by a judge at court on Tuesday.
Following the case, Detective Constable Steve Patterson said he was "delighted" that the victim will get justice for what he describes as a "brutal and cowardly attack".
He said: "I am delighted that these men are now behind bars after being convicted by a jury who saw through their desperate bid to escape justice.
"Neither Miles or Olsen knew the victim in this case but a petty, drunken argument resulted in a brutal assault that almost cost this man his life.
"It was a cowardly attack, but what is more is the pair then videoed him lying on the ground and left him to die alone in the freezing cold.
"Both of these men did not have any significant previous convictions but they have now ruined their lives because they could not control their temper. "However, there are no winners in this case. Mr MacGillivray will have to live with the effects of his injuries for the rest of his life and may never make a full recovery.
"I hope that he can at least take some comfort from knowing these men will now spend a significant amount of time behind bars."
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