Men jailed for Penrith attack on love rival

Thomas Hodgson and Matthew Graham admitted assault causing actual bodily harm

Two men who viciously attacked a love rival outside his house have been jailed.

Thomas Hodgson and Matthew Graham showered their victim with punches, kicks and stamps outside his home near Penrith on 14 March.

Carlisle Crown Court heard the man, who had dated the same woman as Hodgson, was set upon after going outside to investigate the sounding of a car horn.

Graham, 25, was jailed for two years and Hodgson, 31, for 18 months.

The court heard the victim walked up his driveway to investigate the noise when he was punched in the face.

Hodgson and Graham were caught on CCTV kicking and stamping on the man.

'Premeditated attack'

The victim's mother ran out to help and the attack only stopped when she said she was calling the police.

The man suffered numerous injuries, including a bite from Hodgson and a cut having fallen on broken glass. In the aftermath, he spoke of suffering severe physical pain, blurred vision which had persisted and reported a loss of confidence and anxiety.

Both Graham, of Hayocks Road, Stevenston, Ayr, and Hodgson, of Haweswater Close, Penrith, admitted a charge of actual bodily harm assault.

Graham also admitted assaulting the man's mother, and separate charges of dangerous driving, drug-driving and driving without insurance following a Carlisle police pursuit in September.

Judge Nicholas Barker told the duo it was lucky their victim did not suffer worse injuries, adding: "There was certainly a degree of premeditation in your actions that night."