Jailed: Shropshire man gets eight years for beating brothers with metal baton

James Morgan hurled abuse at the victims after stopping his car and getting out, and had "laid into" the three men, striking repeated blows, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard.

One of the victims, Paul Mackintosh, suffered cuts to his head, which needed stitches, and a fractured hand.

Judge Peter Barrie, at court yesterday, said it was an unprovoked assault on the men in Market Drayton two years ago.

"It was out of the blue and for no reason. There had been no previous contact between you and them," he told Morgan.

Paul Mackintosh was the most seriously injured and he continued to have problems with the hand injury. His two brothers, Daniel and Joshua, were also injured during the attack in November 2013.

Passing sentence Judge Barrie said 26-year-old Morgan had been convicted of intending to inflict injury in what was a "wholly unprovoked" assault.

The court heard Morgan had a conviction for wounding three years ago, but Judge Barrie ruled that he did not consider the defendant to be a dangerous offender.

At his trial in September Morgan, of Clive Gardens in Market Drayton, was convicted of six charges relating to causing grievous bodily harm, assault and possessing an offensive weapon.

The attack happened in Shropshire Street when the brothers were out with their father and friends for a charity night at the town's British Legion Club in aid of the football team they play for – Market Drayton Tigers.

During the trial Morgan claimed it was a case of mistaken identity, despite the fact all three victims picked him out at separate police identification parades. He claimed he did not have enough money to go out.

Mr Paul Smith, for Morgan, said reports suggested there was another side to Morgan and it was not just about the violence.