A JUDGE has condemned a young couple for an "appalling" attack on a 21-year-old.

Bolton Crown Court heard that Gary Crawford, aged 20, of Stirling Grove, Whitefield, repeatedly kicked Andrew Randalls in the head outside the Church Inn Pub, Bury New Road, after being urged by girlfriend Lauren Cosgrove to give him "a leathering."

The court heard that Cosgrove, aged 19, of Lancaster Avenue, Whitefield, had earlier been sitting in the pub with a group of males, when she asked Mr Randalls, aged 21, for a cigarette. As Mr Randalls took one from a packet, one cigarette dropped on the floor. Cosgrove then began shouting that Mr Randalls was "ignorant" and began hurling obscene abuse at him.

Later in the evening, Cosgrove and Mr Randalls became involved in a dispute over some change. Cosgrove slapped him in the face and a scuffle followed, ending with them both falling on to the floor, before bystanders brought the situation under control. Cosgrove was then told him he was not going to get away with "hitting a woman" and told him he was going to "get leathered" by her boyfriend.

She then phoned Crawford, who initially did not want to go to the pub as he was on a tag curfew for a previous violent offence, and persuaded him to come down.

Cosgrove followed Mr Randalls as he walked out of the pub, pushing him out of the door. Crawford then arrived and was seen kicking Mr Randalls repeatedly in the head as lay on the ground by the side of the pub, leaving him unconscious with multiple facial injuries, a foot print on his neck and blood clots in his nose.

Passing sentence Judge Derwin Hope said: "The attack on Mr Randalls was appalling and had occured after a horrific sequence of events."

Cosgrove, who pleaded guilty to counselling and procuring an assault of actual bodily harm was sentenced to 100 hours community punishment, a two year community rehabilitation order and a six month curfew.

Crawford was jailed for a total of five years and 352 days for assault, intimidating a witness and for offending while on a tag curfew and out on licence.

The couple have since split up.