A teenager has been jailed for 19 months following an unprovoked assault in Brighltingsea which left a man with life-changing injuries.

Liam Butcher, 19, of no fixed address, was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm alongside 23-year-old Conor Stonebridge of Regent Road, Brightlingsea, following a trial in January this year.

A third man, Callum John, 20, of George Avenue, Brightlingsea, pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm at an earlier hearing.

The court heard the victims, two men in their 50s, had been drinking in the King's Arms pub in the town before the attack on June 30 last year.

The two men left the pub at around 8.20pm, passing Stonebridge and Butcher who were sat drinking outside the pub.

Stonebridge and Butcher followed the two victims along Queen's Street and into town and then began verbally abusing and threatening them before the altercation turned physical.

The court was told that Butcher approached one victim, knocking him unconscious with a single punch before jumping on his leg, leaving him with a open fracture.

Stonebridge began attacking the other man, calling for help from friends who had been following them. Callum John approached the second victim who was grappling with Stonebridge, and smashed a glass over his head.

As emergency crews arrived on scene, the three attackers ran off.

The victims, who were known to their attackers, identified Butcher and Stonebridge to police.

Butcher was arrested that same evening while Stonebridge was picked up by officers the following morning. John handed himself in on the afternoon of July 1.

Stonebridge received four months in prison while John received a six month sentence, suspended for two years, and 150 hours of unpaid work.

Investigating officer, DC Hollie Hughes, said: "This was an unprovoked, senseless attack on two innocent men who had just been enjoying a drink at their local pub. The actions of Butcher, John and Stonebridge will stay with their victims forever, with one suffering life-changing injuries. I'm glad that John had the decency to plead guilty to his offences, and I would like to thank the victims and their families for their courage and dignity throughout this week's trial. I hope it will serve some small comfort that their attackers have faced justice today."