A GROUP who attacked a man during a party in Newport have been jailed for 14 months each.

Appearing before Newport Crown Court yesterday were Lewis Wilkins, 21, of Dolphin Court, Newport, Liam Thompson, 25, of Howe Circle, Newport and Joseph Davies, 26, of Drylla, Dinas Powys.

Each had previously pleaded to one count of violent disorder and while sentencing judge Daniel Williams called it a “serious assault”.

The incident happened on August 3 last year, which was the date of Wilkins’ 21 birthday.

A party had first been held first at The Handpost in Newport, but the court heard that as it was a summer's day the group had moved to an area on Dolphin Court.

Prosecutor Eugene Egan told the court Joshua Seivwright, the complainant in the case, said when he arrived there were people drinking and some taking cocaine.

A fight broke out between Wilkins and another man.

Mr Seivwright witnessed this flare up of violence, but then he was attacked.

The incident was caught on a mobile phone with the footage played to the court.

The footage shows Mr Seivwright and Thompson in a one on one fight. Then Davies and Wilkins arrive and they too set about using violence on Mr Seivwright.

He is shown being punched and kicked, while a fourth man who is still sought by police, is seen holding a bottle, which he uses around five times before kicking the victim.

Mr Seivwright suffered a swollen forehead and swelling in the eye area, and a CT scan was undertaken at hospital.

In mitigation the court heard how it is Davies’ first experience of custody and is not one that he had enjoyed or wants to undergo again and he accepts his part in the incident and wants to do what he can to put it behind him.

Wilkins accepts he should have acted in a more responsible way and his motivation was to help others after being told about the trouble outside.

The court heard Thompson had intended to be a peacemaker but reacted badly when he was pushed, and this was not something that he had planned but it grew out of the initial incident.

Judge Williams added: “It was a short lived but merciless assault” before sentencing each to 14 months imprisonment.