Two men who were part of a six-man gang have been jailed for six years each after violently assaulting a man in Colchester.

Temitayo Akinola, 21, of Vincent Street, Canning Town and Teni Ladega, 20, of Hesper Road, Colchester, were sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday, following the culmination of a week’s trial where they were found guilty of Grievous Bodily Harm with intent.

The pair were sentenced following an attack on a 21-year-old man from Clacton, who was attacked in Queen Street, Colchester on December, 21 2013.

The man was punched to the floor and repeatedly kicked and stamped on his head and face.

He gave evidence during last week’s trial of his ordeal.

Investigating officer Dc Yusseff Rahmani-Manesh said: “This was a violent and unprovoked attack on a victim who was trying to assist a young lady being harassed by a group of men during a busy Christmas period. The physical injuries were serious, and took some months for the victim to return to some sense of normality. The psychological effects on both the victim and his family have been more long term, but hopefully they will now be able to move forward.”