TWO men beat up a schoolboy who they believed was bullying their sister, a court heard.

The 15-year-old was headbutted, punched, kneed and stabbed with a screwdriver during the attack after Simon and Anthony Marsh confronted him outside his school gates.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was left with a fractured eye socket, a puncture wound in his thigh, a swollen nose, a cut on his cheek and a swelling on the side of his head.

Bolton Crown Court heard yesterday that Simon Marsh, aged 19, of Loxham Street, Farnworth, started the attack by headbutting the teenager shortly after he got out of a taxi, which he had taken because he was late for school.

His brother, Anthony, aged 21, a binman who works for Bolton Council, then joined in the attack, during which he pulled out a screwdriver from his work trousers and stabbed the boy in the leg.

The court heard that the two men had intended to confront the teenager over his alleged bullying of their sister but the incident escalated.

Simon Marsh, who does not work because of mental health problems, denied involvement in the attack but was found guilty of unlawful wounding after a trial.

His brother pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding.

Simon Marsh was given a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months, and a 7pm to 7am curfew with an electronic tag.

Anthony Marsh, of Aster Avenue, Farnworth, was given an eight-month jail sentence suspended for 12 months, ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work and pay £300 compensation.