Police have welcomed the jailing of two teenagers said to have acted like, “a pack of hyenas”, in a drunken joint street attack on a lone youth.

As reported in The Northern Echo, last weekend, Ethan Laws and Connor Mitchinson each received two-year sentences in a young offenders’ institution following the waylaying and beating of their victim in the unprovoked incident in Consett, at 9.30pm on May 8 this year.

Durham Crown Court heard that the pair, who were living at a nearby supported accommodation facility at the time, rounded on their victim, just because they considered him “odd”.

The Northern Echo: Ethan Laws, 19, given two-year sentence in young offenders' institution

Having repeatedly punched and dragged him to the ground, the pair rained kicks and stamps on him, leaving him lying unconscious in the street, before just wandering away, with a female companion in tow.

Read more: Drunken teenagers kicked and stamped on unconscious youth

The court heard that despite the severity of the attack the victim, who did not support the prosecution, suffered no fractures to the skull or face.

An attentive CCTV operator, who focused in on seeing the incident, in Ponds Court, Consett, alerted police as the attack was progressing.

It meant that officers were quickly on the scene to administer initial treatment to the 19-year-old victim, before arresting the defendants at the nearby accommodation block.

Mitchinson, 18, now of North End, Durham, and 19-year-old Laws, of Fir Terrace, Esh Winning, both admitted attempted wounding with intent.

Read more: Man denies murder after Newton Aycliffe Blakes incident

Imposing the two-year sentences, on each, to be served immediately, Judge Jo Kidd told them their victim had done nothing to deserve such a ferocious attack.

She said: “You were like a pack of hyenas and as soon as he was on the ground you inflicted numerous punches, kicks and stamps on him, even when he was unconscious.

“It’s lucky the police attended when they did.

The Northern Echo: Connor Mitchinson, 18 last week, also received a two-year custodial sentence

“Heaven only knows what impact those head injuries would have been without the benefit of swift intervention.

“Fortunately, there were no fractures to the skull or face, but that was no thanks to either of you.”

Read next:

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Killers lured fellow inmate into cell at Durham's Frankland Prison

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Speaking since the case, Detective Constable Chris Keeler, of Durham Police, said: “During this incident Laws and Mitchinson have violently assaulted the victim.

“Were it not for the fast actions of police response officers and local CCTV operators the victim may have suffered even more severe injuries.

“This result shows that these types of incidents will not be tolerated and will be dealt with robustly by Durham Constabulary, despite the victim not wishing to support the investigation, we have taken positive action which has resulted in the victim and local community being safeguarded from Mitchinson and Laws.”