TWO men who fled half way across the world to avoid prison were finally both jailed for two years yesterday.

Anthony Breslin, 24, and Paul Brady, 23, returned from Australia after their 12 months' working trip and surrendered to Cleveland Police.

A judge told them that jail was inevitable for their parts in an attack by six men that left two men unconscious after they were repeatedly punched and kicked on a Middlesbrough street.

Breslin, Brady and a third man who was later jailed for 21 months were in a taxi in Southfield Road, Middlesbrough, when they saw the beatings taking place and jumped out to join in, said Deborah Sherwin, prosecuting.

The attackers fled, but were rounded up by police who had been alerted by security television video operators, Teesside Crown Court was told.

Shaun Dryden, defending, said that Breslin decided to avoid being sentenced in April last year because he already had the air tickets to Australia and he thought that he would not be allowed in later with his prison record for violence.

The pair returned to face the courts when their 12-month visas expired. They surrendered to police who had warrants for their arrests and had been in jail on remand since April 26.

Breslin, of Highbury Avenue, Tollesby, Middlesbrough, and Brady, of Embleton Avenue, Middlesbrough, were jailed for two years after they pleaded guilty to violent disorder.

Judge David Bryant told them: "You chose to join in this fight which was nothing to do with you in a spirit of pure malice.

"Criminals are not entitled to choose when and where they appear to be sentenced and if they disappear from breach of bail they can expect a further punishment for that."