Thugs who high-fived each other after 'abhorrent' unprovoked attack are jailed

Nathan Cooper and Ryan O'Toole, of Tipton, left one victim lying motionless in the street after punching and kicking him to the ground following a night out.

CCTV played to Wolverhampton Crown Court captured Cooper, aged 26, and O'Toole, 22, pursuing two men down Union Street before launching the unprovoked assault on May 28.

It shows O'Toole gesticulating towards the targets as they walked away while Cooper throws punches to the head of one man.

O'Toole then floors one of the men with a punch. He gets back up only to be knocked to the ground again, hitting his head on the floor.

O'Toole then high-fives Cooper who proceeds to stamp the stricken man in the groin before landing a kick to the head of the second man as he stoops to tend to his friend.

The first victim suffered a half-inch cut to his head and was left in such a state that he could not remember the attack.

Prosecutor Mr Mark Philips read out a victim impact statement which said: "I woke up in an ambulance and had no recollection of what happened.

"I am now fearful of going out to Dudley town centre or anywhere for fear of being attacked."

The second victim's statement said: "The incident has left me feeling really angry.

"It was totally unprovoked and cowardly to hit someone as they are walking away."

Cooper, of Sherwood Avenue, and O'Toole of Central Avenue, both admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

A month after the incident Cooper was found driving whilst intoxicated above the legal limit and was disqualified, the court heard.

Recorder Geoffrey Pryce described the attack as 'abhorrent, cowardly, persistent and violent' declaring he was not prepared to suspend custodial sentences.

He jailed them both for a year, reducing the terms from 18 months for their early guilty pleas.

Recorder Pryce said: "What I have seen is disgraceful.

"The court frequently has to look at street brawls but thankfully they are not always as sustained as this.

"Mr O'Toole you were pulled back three times by a female friend but you went back.

"Mr Cooper you were determined to follow these two men, you pursued them hitting out and then most shockingly of all, it is sickening to see a man fall to the ground motionless, but you give each other a high-five satisfied with your joint work."

Philip Brunt, defending the pair, said they were retaliating to a disagreement which had unfolded earlier that night but conceded it had nothing to do with Mr Channer and Mr Taylor, admitting they were both innocent parties.

He added: "Everybody makes mistakes and these two have behaved terribly."

"However it is not something they have done before. It is one thing to wake up after a night being drunk, it's another having the reality of your behaviour presented to you in the cold light of day in a court room."