Middlesbrough: Men jailed after screwdriver attack on man

Jack Henry McPhillips, left, and Adam Atkinson were sentenced at Teesside Crown Court

Two men have been jailed after a man was stabbed in the head with a screwdriver while at a cash machine.

Jack Henry McPhillips, 18, and Adam Atkinson, 25, admitted carrying out the attack and robbery on Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, on 6 March.

The victim, 45, stayed in hospital for three months where he was in a coma after suffering a severe brain injury.

The duo, of Thornaby and Middlesbrough, received sentences of more than nine years at Teesside Crown Court earlier.

McPhillips was jailed for nine years and four months and put on extended licence for four years, while Atkinson was sentenced to nine years and six months.

The men had pleaded guilty earlier this year following CCTV and DNA evidence which linked them to the attack.

'Dangerous men'

The court previously heard how they had fled the scene, leaving their victim with "life-changing injuries", before they were caught and arrested.

After sentencing, Det Insp Dan Cook from Cleveland Police said the victim had been "violently assaulted" by "two dangerous men" which had a "massive impact on him and his whole family".

"Both men have now been jailed and they no longer pose a danger to the public," he said.

"They will remain behind bars for a lengthy amount of time, and I hope this goes some way towards providing some comfort to the victim and his family."

Mr Cook praised the victim's family for their "patience" and "cooperation" during the investigation.