Two men took part in a vicious “group attack” in which their victim was hit with a can and a plank of wood.

Scott Lomax, 35, and Kelvin Sharratt, 30, were both involved in the assault on Siddow Common in Leigh on November 1 last year.

Both were brought before Bolton Crown Court his week, which heard about the devastating impact on their victim.

The Honorary Recorder for Bolton Judge Martin Walsh said: “This was a gratuitous attack.”

He added: “It was a group attack, he was struck with a can, kicked and punched and struck on the ground with a wooden plank.”

The case was heard at Bolton Crown CourtThe case was heard at Bolton Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

Lomax and Sharratt, both now of HMP Liverpool, looked on via video-link from prison as prosecutor Salek Ahmed laid out the facts of the case.

Both had pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm when brought before the courts.

Sharratt, who has 30 previous convictions for 51 offences, pleaded guilty when brought before the magistrates court.

Lomax, who has 26 previous convictions for 41 offences confessed at a plea and trial preparation hearing before the crown court.

Hannah Forsyth, defending Sharratt, said that the 30-year-old had earned credit for his guilty plea but said that he himself knew his sentence “can only be custodial.”

James Preece, for Lomax, said that the 35-year-old had been staying at a homeless shelter at the time.

He told the court that Lomax believed that the victim “had property belonging to the co-defendant” at the time.

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Mr Preece said that his client did not kick the victim or use a weapon during the assault, but he accepted that Lomax had still joined in with a “group attack.”

He said: “He regrets his behaviour, he regrets joining in and he is sorry for doing it.”

Mr Preece said that Lomax had had difficulties with drugs but had since been working with the prison’s drug and alcohol team and wanted to take advantage of his time in custody.

Judge Walsh jailed Sharratt for 10 months and Lomax for a year.

In both cases their jail time will run consecutively to sentences that they are already serving for other offences.