FOUR young men from Pontypool have been sent to prison for 24 years between them after a “gang attack” on Hallowe’en.

On October 27 a Hallowe’en party held in a house in Pontypool ended disastrously following a brawl sparked by a row over a cigarette.

Gethin Lear, 21, and Nicholas Beddis, 20, attacked Mark Groves at the house party last year, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

Lear threw a punch that floored Mr Groves before he was repeatedly kicked and stamped on in the kitchen of the house in Brynwern, Pontypool.

The pair found themselves at the party with their two friends, Joshua Mellor, 21, and Ashley Jones, 20, after entering the property uninvited after leaving another Hallowe’en party at the Labour in Vain pub opposite the house .

Mellor, of Hillside Drive, Pontypool, Jones, of Ridgeway, Pontypool, Lear, of Penrith School Lane, Pontypool, and Beddis, of Ferncroft Way, Pontypool, all denied wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm against Mark Groves but were found guilty by a jury.

The court that how the four, who were described as ‘drunk’, gatecrashed the party after going along from the pub with invited guests. Mr Groves spotted the gatecrashers, but the court heard that he didn’t object when they took drink from the fridge, but instead began talking to them.

Mellor pestered Mr Groves for a cigarette, and when he refused, and asked him to leave as it was 4am, this sparked the fight.

Mellor punched Groves twice, before Lear, who initially stepped in to break the fight up, punched Groves, which knocked him off his feet.

The court heard that Mellor and Lear continued punching and kicking him.

Beddis then kicked Mr Groves to the face.

Mr Groves’ friend, Luke Jackson, tried to intervene but Jones tried to punch him, which resulted in him falling to the floor, before kicking him to prevent him going to his friend’s aid.

At the sentencing on Friday, Judge Stephen Hopkins explained that he had received character references of the four.

He said: “Everyone speaks in glowing terms of who they speak of. The words trustworthy, hard-working and reliable litter the references.”

Judge Hopkins said said: “It was a gang attack and a sustained attack. Defendants were drunk and used the foot as a weapon.”

He sentenced them to six years’ imprisonment.