A VICTIM of two of the young men who terrorised the streets of Thirsk has spoken for the first time about the attack that left him scared to leave his own home.

Stephen Rose, 48, still receives counselling after the attack in 2009, when he was beaten so badly he had to have three hours of emergency surgery.

Mr Rose was at Teesside Crown Court yesterday to see Jamie Marsden, 19, and Daniel Dodsworth, 20, jailed for two years for the attack, which the judge described as cowardly and fuelled by drink.

“In a way, I’m happy with the outcome, but they’ll be out in less than 12 months,”

he said.

“I’m glad they are off the streets because my life has been made hell. I just wish the legal system was better, so they could be put away for longer.”

On the night of the attack, Mr Rose went outside to clean up after his dog when he was spotted by Dodsworth, who was at a party nearby.

Dodsworth ran at Mr Rose shouting that he would “kick his head in”

and punched him to the floor.

He was joined by Marsden, who started kicking Mr Rose in the face.

“I think there was a gang of about six lads in the end just kicking me in the head and face,” said Mr Rose.

“They focused on my head and kicked me until I was unconscious.

“When I woke up I was holding my face because of all the blood, but when I moved my hand away my top lip fell off – it was severed all the way up to my nose. I had to have three hours of plastic surgery to reattach it.

“I lost six teeth, two at the time and another four had to be removed because they were bent back so far.”

Since the attack, Mr Rose has had problems with his eyesight and receives counselling.

Because of his injuries, he lost his business selling industrial paper and almost lost his home after falling behind with mortgage payments.

Intimidation from friends of Marsden and Dodsworth also means he is too afraid to go into Thirsk town centre.

He said: “I can’t go shopping or even just for a drink with friends in Thirsk because there are always people threatening me.

“People ask why I don’t just leave, but I was born and brought up here. Why should I have to leave my home because of scum like that? It’s going to be very difficult, even though they have gone down. The past 20 months have been hell.”