PROSECUTORS are campaigning for an increase of a sentence imposed on a man involved in terrifying knife attack.

The Northern Echo can reveal that an appeal has been submitted in the case of Lukas Bazelak after he was jailed for two years two weeks ago.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) considers that the sentence was "unduly lenient" and is seeking an increase.

Bazelak, 22, could be heard laughing as he filmed a knife attack on Daniel Appleby on his mobile phone camera.

Martin Sosna, 21, held the blade to Mr Appleby's eyeball and threatened to kill him during the 40-minute ordeal in Darlington.

The footage showed a tearful and petrified Mr Appleby cowering on the ground pleading for his life during the attack.

At several points during the recording, Sosna can be heard screaming "die, die, die" as he slams the knife into the wall near his head.

Sosna was dressed only in a pair of boxer shorts as he threatened Mr Appleby and forced him to hand over his bank card and personal identification number.

Bazelak's brother, Arkadiusz, went to a cashpoint and withdrew money while their victim was being held captive in their hosuse.

Meanwhile, Sosna discussed in Polish how they should dispose of Mr Appleby's body once they had killed him.

Arkadiusz Bazelak, 33, was jailed for four years after he admitted robbery during the incident in Lansdowne Street, on January 7.

Sosna, 21, committed suicide while he was on remand at Holme House Prison, in Stockton, for false imprisonment, making threats to kill and robbery.

Lukas Bazelak, 22, was jailed for two years by Teesside Crown Court judge Les Spittle after he pleaded guilty to false imprisonment.

Judge Spittle said Lukas Bazelak had incited and possibly prolonged 21-year-old Mr Appleby's ordeal by filming it.

Mr Appleby, a steeplejack, managed to flee from the house and find a nearby police car when another friend arrived at the party and left the kitchen door open.

An armed police team swooped on the property and arrested the three Polish men, and later found the mobile phone containing the nine-minute film hidden in the loft.

A spokesman for the CPS said last night: "The case papers have been sent forwarded to the Attorney General to be considered for an appeal on the grounds that the sentence of Lukas Bazelak was unduly lenient."