A man who suffered a ‘ferocious’ beating after being overpowered by a gang of men when he fired an air rifle at one of them has been locked up.

Nathan Sloan was captured on CCTV swaying on his feet while has standing outside a house waiting for his intended targeted to arrive.

The footage showed the 32-year-old’s night-time scope illuminating the area after he shot Luke Madden at short range.

Teesside Crown Court heard Sloan’s behaviour in the early of the morning described as someone who ‘had thrown the boomerang and it has hit him’ as he was beaten unconscious minutes after the shooting in Stockton.

The Northern Echo: Police at the scene where the altercation involving males with weapons on Bowesfield Lane/Northcote Street in StocktonPolice at the scene where the altercation involving males with weapons on Bowesfield Lane/Northcote Street in Stockton (Image: TERRY BLACKBURN)

Paul Abrahams, prosecuting, said Madden returned to the house for a few minutes before going outside armed with an axe and a wooden panel for protection.

The CCTV footage showed the 31-year-old and an unidentified male move towards Sloan before he was quickly knocked to the ground and a number of kicks and stamps were delivered to his head and body.

The Northern Echo: Nathan SloanNathan Sloan (Image: Cleveland Police)

Madden was seen to pick up the air rifle and point it at the prone body of Sloan but did not fire a pellet.

Two other defendants, Liam Matthews and Ellis Heald, then joined in the attack on their unconscious victim and delivered their own kicks and stamps to his head a body.

Matthews was armed with a metal spike, which he didn’t use, before searching through the victim’s pockets.

A fifth man, Paul Metcalfe, was cleared of the charges he faced following the violent altercation when the prosecution offered no evidence against him.

The Northern Echo: Luke MaddenLuke Madden (Image: Cleveland Police)

Mr Abrahams said Sloan discharged the air rifle with the intent to cause fear of violence.

He said: “There was a high risk of disorder and it is fair to say that we saw the results of that. In the end he was the person who lost out most as he was the one who created the disorder and it turned back on himself.

“He has thrown the boomerang and it has hit him – if I could put it that way.”

Police attended the scene to discover Sloan unconscious on the street before kicking one of the officers when he was taken to hospital.

Sloan, of Turton Road, Yarm, pleaded guilty to possession of firearm with intent to cause fear of the threat of violence, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and assault an emergency worker.

Madden, of Rievaulx Avenue, Stockton, pleaded guilty to violent disorder, possession of a bladed article an axe; and possession of firearm with intent to cause fear of the threat of violence.

The Northern Echo: Liam MatthewsLiam Matthews (Image: Cleveland Police)

Liam Matthews, 25, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to violent disorder, as did his 19-year-old co-accused, Ellis Heald, of Carburt Street, Stockton.

Jonathan Walker, representing Sloan, told the court the off-shore worker’s life had spiralled out of control at the time of the offence on December 6 last year in the Bowesfield Lane and Northcote Street area of Stockton.

He said he was under the influence of drugs at the time.

Michael Cahill, representing, Madden, said his client didn’t go out looking for trouble ‘it was brought to his door’ and he responded to it.

Nicci Horton, representing Heald, said the teenager had shown some insight into the potential horrendous consequences of his behaviour.

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And Victoria Lamballe, representing Matthews, said her client had played a limited role at the end of the incident.

Recorder Harry Vann said: “The severity, the ferocity of the assault on Sloan by the men is made all too clear by the fact that in just ten seconds from the attack starts, he had completely lost consciousness."

Sloan was sentenced to three years and four months; Madden was sentenced to three years; Matthews was sentenced to 22 months, while Heald was given a 16-month sentence suspended for two years.

The teenager was ordered to attend 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days, a six-month curfew between 6pm and 6am, trail monitoring requirement for six months, and carry out 150 hours unpaid work.