TWO brothers were beaten outside a takeaway shop after one of them tried to intervene in a drink-fuelled argument between a man and woman.

A judge at Teesside Crown Court yesterday talked about the scourge of drunken street violence after watching closed circuit television camera footage of the attack.

Stephen Paterson was jailed for two years and Andrew Firth was given a two-year extended sentence after the judge heard he had been in court for a bottle attack only a month earlier.

Recorder Neil Davey told them: "Drunken street violence is one of the curses of our times. The direct victims of it receive injuries, and those who are not injured are terrified by the sights and sounds of what goes on."

Scott Foggin suffered a cut head and fractured wrist when he was repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped on by bare-chested Paterson.

His brother, Mark, was lucky to escape with a swollen lip and bruised body after he was punched by Paterson and another man in Darlington town centre, in April. The court watched CCTV footage of the assault, which happened at 3.45am, outside a pizza shop in Gladstone Street, after Mark Foggin tried to intervene in a row between Paterson and a woman.

Paterson challenged the brothers to a fight and they left to avoid trouble, but he followed them and knocked Scott to the ground.

As his brother was being attacked, Mark tried to help, but was dragged off by bystander Firth - who did not know any of the others - and repeatedly punched.

Sarah Mallett, for Firth, said: "He accepts his involvement was wrong."

Ros Scott-Bell, for Paterson, who had drunk nine pints and Jack Daniels whiskies, said: "He is thoroughly ashamed of his behaviour."

Paterson, of Geneva Road, Darlington, admitted grievous bodily harm against Scott Foggin, actual bodily harm against Mark Foggin, affray and resisting arrest. Firth, of Neville Parade, Newton Aycliffe, admitted affray.

The court heard that Firth was given an 18-month community order on March 12 - only four weeks before the attack - for smashing a bottle over someone's head in Escapade nightclub, in Darlington.