AN innocent man who was beaten unconscious in the street could owe his life to a brave passer-by who stepped in to stop the “repeated, sustained and brutal attack”, it emerged yesterday.

A judge praised the courage of Aimee Yule after watching closed circuit television camera footage of the sickening assault and seeing the shopper wade in to help the stricken victim.

Jason Waters was punched to the ground in Darlington town centre and repeatedly thumped in the face by one thug before a second stamped on his head and face.

Simon Taylor, 31, and Ryan Piggford, 28, were each jailed for four years and eight months yesterday after admitting inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent to do so.

Judge Howard Crowson branded the attack “persistent and appalling” and told the pair that they could have been starting longer sentences last night had the harm they caused been greater.

The judge said Ms Yule's intervention stopped the 22-year-old victim suffering a more severe beating and asked for a letter to be sent to her commending her public-spirited actions.

“On the face of the film, she was just a woman in the street, shopping bag in hand, appalled by what she had seen and concerned for the man who was receiving this unjustified attack.

“She sought to help and tried to place him in the recovery position, when you, Piggford, returned and kicked him again twice,” said Judge Crowson at Teesside Crown Court.

The footage of the attack in Northgate at 7pm on July 27 shows Mr Waters falling into a parked car after being punched by Taylor and then collapsing into the road after another blow.

Piggford, of Greenbank Road, Darlington, told police he was “mortal drunk”.

Shaun Dryden, mitigating, said the incident highlighted Piggford's losing battle with an alcohol addiction.

Taylor, of Peabody Street, Darlington, claimed the incident was sparked by a row between Piggford and Mr Waters.

He, too, expressed remorse after being shown the camera footage, and told police in an interview: “My idea was to hurt him and no more than that.”

Andrew Petterson, mitigating, told Judge Crowson that Taylor had lost work, a relationship and contact with his three-year-old son as a result of his long-standing problems with alcohol.