A MAN accused of raping a teenage girl was sought out and attacked by a group of her friends, a court heard.

They set off vigilante-style in search of Gary Lines, 30, after his 15-year-old victim was seen in a highly distressed state shortly after the late-night incident, in a parked car in the Crook area of County Durham, in May last year.

Durham Crown Court heard they found him just an hour later after visiting a couple of houses.

Sarah Margree, prosecuting, said he was punched and kicked several times after falling to the ground, while a friend of his was also struck in the face.

Both went to hospital, where Lines was treated for head and chest injuries, including a small skull fracture.

Four of the men involved in the attack were arrested and made various admissions.

Vaughan Raine and Craig Welch, both 18, and 20-year-old Kevin Metcalf appeared before the court charged with causing grievous bodily harm, which they had each admitted at a previous hearing.

Steven Brown, 23, was accused of assaulting the other man, causing actual bodily harm.

David Rowlands, in mitigation, told the court Lines was initially charged with rape, but this was dropped and he pleaded guilty to a charge of indecent assault against the girl.

He was jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Recorder John Muir said despite their concern, the men should not have taken the law into their own hands.

"They took it upon themselves to attack this man who they believed was responsible for this serious sexual assault.

"In these circumstances, their motive was good, albeit they were misguided."

He said due to the "exceptional" circumstances, he could avoid passing custodial sentences.

Raine, of Commercial Street, and Metcalf, of Syca-more Grove, both Willington, County Durham, and Welch, of Masefield Crescent, in nearby Sunnybrow, were each given 160-hour community punishment orders.

Welch and Raine were also ordered to pay £100 costs.

Brown, of South Street, Willington, was jailed for 15 months for a separate assault, in which he admitted wounding a woman by punching her in the face, in an unconnected incident in November 1999.

He was given no extra penalty for the assault in May.