A THUG once dubbed Blackburn’s Little Gangster has failed in a bid to have his sentence cut for an unprovoked, vicious attack.

Lewis Elliott, 20, now of Bedford Street, Darwen, was so infuriated at losing a game of pool that he hit out at his opponents with the cue.

Elliott, 20, of Bedford Street, smashed out four of Michael Mitchell’s teeth, and left his brother Daniel with a cut across his face, London’s Criminal Appeal Court heard.

The attack happened after Elliott and a friend challenged the brothers to a game of pool in Blackburn’s Cellar Bar in June last year.

Once Elliott realised he was losing, he flew into a rage and, fuelled by cocaine and drink, he started hitting Michael with the pool cue.

Even when his victim tried to protect himself by crouching on the floor, Elliott continued hitting the back of his head.

He then turned to Daniel, striking him across the face with such ferocity that the cue broke. Michael, 24, was left with cuts to his face, as well as the broken teeth, while Daniel, 22, also suffered a facial cut.

Mr Justice Griffith Williams told the court Michael would be left permanently scarred. His victim impact statement also revealed his nerves had been left “shattered” by the incident, the judge said.

Elliott admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and assault occasioning actual bodily harm at Preston Crown Court and was sent to a young offender’s institution for four years and eight months.

The Appeal Court heard Elliott had 18 previous convictions for 28 offences.

Rejecting Elliott’s appeal, Mr Justice Griffith Williams, sitting alongside Lord Justice Rix and Judge Nicholas Cooke QC, said: “The sentence may arguably be on the high side, but it was certainly not too high.”

In July 2005, Elliot, then just 16, was given his nickname by police after running amok in the Mill Hill area.