Middlesbrough brothers who attacked man on 21st birthday jailed

Shaun and Paul Taylor attacked a man at The Thorntree pub in November 2021

Two brothers who left a man celebrating his 21st birthday fearing for his eyesight in an attack have been jailed.

Shaun and Paul Taylor, 38 and 35, punched and kicked the man while the older brother hit him with a chair in a Middlesbrough pub, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The men were drunk after their death of their father, the court heard.

Both admitted assault causing actual bodily harm and were jailed for 14 months each.

The victim had been standing at the bar in The Thorntree pub on 6 November 2021 when the brothers from Middlesbrough "stormed in" and launched the "unprovoked" and "truly vicious beating", His Honour Judge Jonathan Carroll said.

'Mob handed'

Both men punched and kicked him to the ground, then Shaun Taylor "thrashed" him twice with a chair and kicked him "all but unconscious", the judge said.

He said the "mob-handed" pair had the opportunity to stop but carried on attacking the man, who was "utterly incapable of doing anything to defend himself".

The man suffered multiple injuries including a bruised and swollen eye.

In a statement, he told the court he had suffered "nightmares" due to his fear of losing the sight in one eye and was unsure if his vision would ever be fully restored.

In mitigation, the court heard the brothers were drunk at the time having used alcohol to cope with the death of their father.

Both Shaun Taylor, of Midville Walk, and Paul Taylor, of Morpeth Avenue, had previous convictions including for violence offences, the court heard.